


An Alchemist's Tale

by ec_writes



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Brothers Grimm, FMA AU, Fairy Tales, FullMetal Alchemist - Freeform, a bit of Disney influence too, but mostly classic fables
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-07
Updated: 2015-05-23
Packaged: 2018-01-07 19:53:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 68,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1123745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ec_writes/pseuds/ec_writes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fullmetal Alchemist gets a fairy tale twist in an adventure that begins, "Once Upon a Time…"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To start off, I wanted to state that I do not claim FMA, or any other fairy tale story you may recognize in this piece as my own. I'm merely spinning together some of my favorites stories, and making a fun little adventure for me and other fans to read.

* * *

 

There was once a kingdom with rolling green hills and skies of the most vivid blue; a kingdom ruled by a mighty queen that was loved by all. It was one of great prosper and beyond its time in knowledge of science and technology.  

The Queen's heir, the prince, was a man of virtue who's kindness knew no limits. When he came of age and found a wife the kingdom rejoiced, for her strength and good nature was rivaled only by her beauty. The love that the prince and his bride shared was one that would stand the test of time, and when the announcement came that the new princess was with child, the kingdom was over-joyed. 

But the princess grew ill, and kingdom grew sad. 

Fearful for her heir and kingdom, the aging queen called forth the greatest healers and scientists her nation held in hopes of finding a cure. Day by day, hope became a fleeting thought, and day by day, despite being minds dedicated to science, the prince and queen grew desperate for a miracle. 

One night, when the prince's despair was too much to withstand, a misshapen man came forth proclaiming he could save the princess and the unborn child. The prince called for his presence immediately, and the misshapen man presented to his majesty a silver pocket watch that, when opened, revealed a tiny fragment of scarlet stone.

"I hold in my hand a power no mortal should wield." The man proceeded to the royal court. "Good men have turned wicked, the wise have gone mad, and cities have been destroyed all for the chance to wield this cursed gem, for it holds everlasting life. 

"I come forth to you not as a savior led by God, but as an alchemist and messenger of Truth. You will pay no toll for the use of this relic, but know well that should anyone find that your bride and child have this elixir flowing in their veins, they will be hunted, and they will be stolen from you."

The prince heeded his words, but his heart ached for his lover's embrace and to hear the cries of his child. He pleaded for the misshapen man to save them, and he obliged. 

That very night, the princess was healed and their daughter was born. 

The kingdom celebrated and rejoiced for their royal family, and all seemed right in their nation once more. 

But the neighboring kingdom did not rejoice for the kingdom of rolling hills and vivid skies. The ruler of that nation, a wrathful and hollow man, held nothing but loathing for the prosperity and wealth his neighbor held. He wanted the secrets of their science for his own greed, and upon hearing the news of the mysterious recovery, the neighboring king's dark heart took a deeper plunge into the blackness of sin.

He called forth his commanding officer, a man whose soul was as black as his eyes, and forged a wicked plan. 

 

"Might we be arriving soon, my darling?" The princess asked, swaying her weeping child. "The baby has never cried so much. I'm worried she may be ill."

The prince looked to his dearest wife and took in the distress of his daughter. 

"We should arrive at the kingdom soon, my love." He replied. "Once this treaty is signed, we may return home." 

The princess smiled a smile that would make the very stars jealous, and the prince's heart swelled at the sight. 

An arrow shot through the window of the carriage, nearly striking the prince. 

The princess let out a scream as the prince pulled her and the child to the floor.

"Ambush!" A soldier cried. "Protect the royal family!"

The prince's eyes grew wide. The neighboring king had fooled them all. Why would they believe that his intentions for peace were true? He looked at his family, and feared it may be the last time he would. 

A soldier ripped the door open. 

"Your majesties, you must flee!" He cried, and the princess screamed as a sword pierced through his middle. 

The enemy pulled the sword free of the soldier's body, licking the blade as he swiped it by his tongue. He grabbed the princess by the hair on her scalp and pulled her from the carriage, the baby's cries blending with her mother's. The prince tried to follow, but he shut the door and barricaded it with the sheath for his blade. 

The prince pounded at the door, screamed for mercy, but the man only smiled a wicked sneer as the sword slit the princess' long, porcelain neck. Her blood trailed down her chest like intricate beads of a necklace as her body hit the ground, her dress smothering their infant daughter. 

The man laughed a high, sinister laugh as the prince cried, and took a torch from one of his officers. 

"Farewell, your majesty." He mocked, and set the carriage on fire, laughing mirthfully as the prince's screams echoed through the night. 

The remaining soldiers were slaughtered, and the few officers the man had left began to pick-pocket the dead bodies. 

Then, he heard it. 

The cries of a baby. 

He swiftly moved to the princess, tossing her body aside to reveal the wailing child. 

He kicked it, but the baby did not stop crying. It was as if it were unaffected. 

He took his sword and stabbed at it's fatty middle, but the baby did not quiet. He pulled his sword away, and there was no wound. 

The baby wouldn't die. 

"What the devil.." He whispered, and grabbed the screaming infant by the leg. 

He gasped, for a power he had never felt surged through his body that was more intoxicating than any wine or bodily release. 

He looked at the child and saw the faintest glow about her, and knew, somehow, this child held powers beyond his comprehension. 

"My baby.." He heard a woman say, and his eyes shot back to the princess. "Please.. my.. baby.."

He walked abruptly and pierced her heart with blade, and a glow much like the baby's faded away from her body. She must have held the power, too, but it was gone from her now. 

"W-W…" She stuttered, blood splattering the skin around her lips. "W-Winry.."

The man smiled, and looked to the child. 

"Winry, huh?" He whispered. "You shall be my greatest treasure."

"What'd ya find there, General Kimblee?" An officer asked, and Kimblee's greed took control of his mind. 

He grabbed the man by the neck, and to his shock watched him implode. He looked down at the baby and noticed the glow had become brighter, almost a shade of red. 

His wicked smile grew larger, and he used the power of the babe to kill off the rest of his troops. 

"You will be mine," He whispered, running rampantly into the darkness. "And no one else's, my little Winry."

 

 

The kingdoms went to war after that tragic night. No one ever knew what had happened to the royal baby, as her body had never been found.

Little did they know, that deep within the uncharted forests, in a hidden fortress buried underground, the baby lived.

 

* * *

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Many years had come and gone, but the warring kingdoms did not rest. The lines that divided the nations had turned barren and dead, the ground dyed dark from the blood of fallen soldiers. The Aged Queen grew sullen, and her subjects' anger over the loss of their beloved prince and princesses only grew with the passing time. 

The Hollow King, however, grew even more avaricious as the war waged on, claiming the lands of smaller estates and slaughtered the natives, using their homes as battle fields. He relished in the chaos and destruction. 

It was a terrible time for the people of both nations. 

:

However, far off in the uncharted forests, still untouched by the warring kingdoms, the child of the prince and princess grew to be a lovely young woman. Her kind heart and sharp mind mirrored that of her mother's, as well as her beauty, and her thirst to learn could only be rivaled by her father's. 

Although Kimblee's interest in the girl was solely for her mystic power, he was as kind to her as a man with a dead heart could have been. He brought her books and taught her things so that she could stand to be on her own, earning the nickname 'Master', but kept her naive with his forked-tongue.

"The world is cruel and will destroy such a pure creature, like yourself." He'd tell her whenever she'd look to the sky. "You're only safe here. You must never leave this place." 

And she obeyed; for Kimblee was her protector, or so she thought. 

  During the times when his bloodlust needed to be satisfied, he would prick the tip of the precious girl's fingers, and bottle her blood to use as a weapon. This way he could harness her power, but keep her hidden. It was a devious plan that had never failed him throughout those years, and Winry never rejected participating in the tradition, for she did not understand that it was perverse and immoral. 

Kimblee studied tomes on the mystics and sciences of the world, and through his research learned of ways to use Winry's sacred power. His favorite being that of alchemy; it had proven to be quite useful in keeping their haven hidden. He kept the girl ignorant of these studies, and refused to allow her to learn about it, using his manipulative talents once again to keep her under his control.

Yet, the girl never resented the overbearing man. Her only wish was that the world was safe enough for her to explore, or that she was strong enough to face it's evils. 

She never thought that such evils were embedded in the very man that kept her hidden.

That is, until one day…

:

Winry sat in her newly restored bedroom, reading a text on mechanics. She had loved the idea of new-aged technology; machines that could take a human to the skies, or the depths of the seas-ah! It was so exciting to her. She wanted deeply to be like one of the sound minds in that field, to create something _astounding_. 

"Hello, my little lotus." 

Winry became joyous upon hearing those words, and when her eyes landed on her protector, she leaped and bounded to him. 

"Master!" She shouted in glee, and wrapped her arms tightly around his middle, like a child would upon the arrival of their father. "Oh, I've missed you so!"

Kimblee did not hug her back, a fact she was quite accustomed to, and she pulled away to shine at him her dazzlingly smile. "What was it like this time? Did you see any new places? Learn new things?"

He remained silent as she asked her questions, keeping his focus on something that had ever so recently been grasping his attention: her body. Her movements were pure and innocent, but the softness of her curves became more tantalizing with every passing day. Even in the darkness of their underground domain, she glowed like a star in the blackest sky. He knew that his body had become addicted to the power her blood would give him, but he was starting to crave her in ways he hadn't before, his sinful heart taking in another form of darkness. 

The idea of taking her as his had had been planted in his mind many years ago. Having such a power devoted to him even deeper than it was now? Why that just made his body warm in ways the young girl had never even learned about. A twisted smile captured his face as his eyes moved to the girl's lips. 

"…. another dream. I know you find these things trivial, but this one was so real."

His eyes narrowed.

"I thought I've told you before, my little lotus, those dreams mean nothing."

Her eyes were pleading for him to listen, and he motioned for her to continue. Should he take her as his, he supposed that feigning concern could help his wooing her. 

Her smile grew wider. "Well, this time, I was a princess." 

A surge of caution struck Kimblee. 

"I was going somewhere, it was dark, and I was with my family. Our carriage was attacked, and I was so scared." She took in a breath, and looked into the eyes of her protector. "Before I woke up, I was staring at a man. I-I'm certain that man was you."

He knew where this would lead. His darling little lotus would ask 'why'. Why would he be in her dreams, in such an awful scene? 

His sharp and sinister mind forged and idea, and he softened his face as much as could, taking the girl's small hand into his own. 

"Was I your savior?" He asked, his false attentiveness was so well-played, and Winry believed it. 

"I don't know." She replied, looking thoughtfully to the ground. "I woke before the dream could tell me."

A soft hum passed through his twisted lips, and he placed his other hand on the delicate curve of her jaw. An uneasy feeling blossomed in Winry's chest, and it frightened her, for she had never felt such a feeling before. 

"Maybe your dreams are trying to tell you something." He whispered, and pushed a lock of her soft hair behind her ear. "Perhaps, about me?" 

He watched shock and confusion brighten her eyes, and left the room. He had planted the seed in her mind, he just needed to let it bloom. 

:

Day after day, Winry grew more apprehensive towards her protector with every encounter. The slight touches, the way he'd stare, it caused a panic inside of her that couldn't be calmed. He was as close to family as any human could be to her. He had told her about when he saved her from death as a baby, and raised her as his own. She never thought she'd have to ignore the advances of the man that she could consider to be her father. She never thought she'd feel so unsafe in what was supposed to be her safe haven. 

She was hiding in her work room, fiddling with a piece of metal that her 'protector' had brought her back from his last trip. She wanted to flatten it and used it for a small beam in her room, to keep the earth from falling through the cracks in her ceiling. She didn't hear him walk in as she worked. 

He crept behind her, blew lightly at the skin of her neck, and whispered. "Hello, my little lotus."

She froze, the uneasy feeling that erupted in her nearly making her sick. 

"H-Hello, Master." She managed to say, and the man released an oily chuckle. 

"I'm not your master anymore, little lotus." He said, running the back of his hand lightly across her fair cheek. "You haven't been my student for many years. I don't know why you insist on calling me that."

"I've grown accustom to it." She answered, and his eyes went hard.

"Grow out of it." He growled, then softened his voice. "You will call me Kimblee from how on. Do you understand, my little lotus?" 

She gulped, and nodded her answer.  

His hand traveled down her neck. It went over her shoulder, down her sides and landed on her work table. The lightness of the touches made her insides shudder. She hoped his advances would end here, as they had been.

But then he leaned in and smelled her hair, his bottom lip dampening the tip of her ear, and her body reacted without her consent. 

The metal clanged to the floor as Kimblee's head snapped back from the strike. 

Winry's eyes grew large from terror as he slowly turned back to her, rage contorted his features into something inhuman. She gasped at the sight. 

He grabbed her by the wrists and flung her into the wall. She let out a wail in fear as his nose touched hers. 

"You dare deny me? I am your protector-your only chance at safety in this wicked world." He brought his face down to her neck, sniffing the skin. "You will be mine…"

Winry flailed her body with all of her might, successfully breaking the sickening contact with Kimblee. His stare was wild with disdain, and he slapped her with such a force that her entire body was struck back. 

Kimblee's rage was becoming too strong, her rejection was starting eat away at the little sanity he had. He grabbed the raw metal off the floor, took the girl's wrist, and sliced it open. Her screams did nothing to affect him. He pulled a vial from his chest piece and filled it with her crimson blood. He licked his lips absent-mindedly as he watched the container fill. 

"I'm going away." He stated. "I will be back in three days time. You will make your decision then; be alone forever, or be mine."

He left the room as swiftly as he had entered, smiling wickedly to himself. She would be his no matter what she decided, he just wanted to play with her a little more. 

:

Winry stared emotionlessly at the wrist Kimblee had cut. The skin had healed, and there was no scar, but she had been greatly damaged. She didn't feel the tears that ran down her face as she curled into herself, whimpering like a lost animal, hoping their calls will be heard. 

But no one could hear her, she was all alone. 

She wondered if she always would be.  

* * *

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

They broke in through the stone flooring, listening intently for the footsteps of guards before hurrying off to the castle's treasure room. The coverage of soldiers was surprisingly minimal, it caused a bit of uneasiness in the trio.

"Are the guards that stupid?" A large man whispered to the others.

Another inspected the area diligently, then shrugged. "Maybe they've been cut back by the war."

The third, a much smaller man with golden hair, scoffed and hurried down the dark corridor.

"This castle doesn't need heavy guarding," He snapped, guilt lacing his sharp words, "because there's no need to break in."

It was apparent in their small time within the kingdom's boundaries that not one person would think of doing what they had planned. It sickened the golden haired man that he had succumb to this, but he needed to do it.

The three men ran swiftly through the shadows until they reached their destination.

"After you." One of the large men said, and the golden haired man clapped his hands, and upon touching the door, unlocked it immediately.

They entered the treasure room and quickly began their search, tossing aside gems and gold as they searched for a relic of legend.

"Why aren't we snagging some of this as well?" One of the large men said, his dark features reflecting off the gold piece in his hand. "We could give it to the poor back home."

"This country doesn't owe our people anything." The golden haired man replied, his eyes searching desperately for the item in which he pined.

The man shrugged and continued his search.

The golden haired man scanned the room, and spotted a dark corner off in the distance. He hastily made his way to it, noticing immediately that the items stowed away were obscure and, more than likely, hid what he so desperately desired. There was a small chest on a mantle and, as he did before, he clapped his hands and opened it.

The smile that took his face was wild and full of splendor as he reached in and pulled out a small, silver pocket watch. He dangled it in the air, admiring the old piece as it twisted and turned inches above his nose.

"Guys, I found it." He croaked, but his mind was taken by a portrait that hung above him.

There was no doubt the family in the portrait was royal, but never had he seen a painting of a royal family that looked so happy. The woman was an unbelievable vision, her happiness radiated that of a new mother as she held a small baby close to her heart. The man was bearing a proud smile as he wrapped an arm around his bride, his other cradled the newborn's head.

"Alright, let's go!" One of the men called out, pulling the golden haired man out of his trance.

He pocketed the watch and ran towards them. They left the room, relocked the door, and headed back to the place in the floor that would lead to their escape. One by one, they entered the secret door. The golden haired man was last to go through, for he had to close the opening. As he lowered himself into the hole, a guard turned the corner.

"Halt!" He shouted, but the man slipped down and sealed the passage.

"We've got to run!" He shouted, as he got to his feet.

"Huh? Why?" The large man with light hair asked, running behind him.

"Because, Idiot!" He snapped. "Alchemy isn't outlawed here!"

A loud boom was heard behind them, and guards began to drop down into their tunnel.

"SHIT!"

They ran into the darkness as fast as they could, the golden haired alchemist making barriers in the walls to help him escape. Eventually, they reached their ending point.

"Lift me up!" He shouted to the men, and one tossed him in the air.

He clapped and smacked the ceiling, and another opening appeared.

He climbed through the hole and offered a hand to his comrades.

"Hah! Like you could lift us out of here, Pipsqueak." One laughed.

"Shut up!" He yelled. "Now c'mon! They're going to catch you!"

The two men looked to one another, and back to the alchemist with smiles on their faces. "We'll hold them off." One said. "You get back to your brother."

The alchemist froze. "Darius… Heinkel.. I-"

"GO!" They shouted, and the alchemist nodded, running off towards the kingdom's border.

Their sacrifice, however noble, didn't help as much as they would have hoped. The palace guards must have alerted the kingdom's soldiers, for he was running for his life as he crossed the border into uncharted land.

He swore loudly as he cut in and out of trees, dove under thick brush and jumped over small streams.

He was starting to lose them, but he was growing tired fast. He needed to find a place to hide. He pivoted to the right and rolled down a steep hill, quickly taking cover behind a large boulder embedded into the earth. He leaned back into the moss covered side as soldiers began to approach and, to his extreme surprise, fell through a hidden opening.

"What the hell?" He muttered, and stood to find himself inside the boulder.

He placed a hand against the wall, and immediately looked to it after feeling strange engravings under the tips of his fingers. His eyes grew wide with shock; there were markings of a transmutation circle etched into the stone! He analyzed the little bit of the circle that remained, and realized that parts of the symbols looked like it was meant for opening a hidden door.

The alchemist smirked. Most people wouldn't be able to enter this hiding place, because the transmutation was missing half of its circle. Lucky for him, he didn't need it.

He clapped and placed his hands on the wall, and an opening to blackness appeared. He was hesitant to enter, but he could hear the sounds of the soldiers' footsteps getting louder and louder. He swallowed his pride, headed straight into the darkness, and closed the entrance behind him.

The air was stale inside the secret door. He felt the walls in blind hope that, maybe, there would be a torch somewhere. Lucky for him, his left hand fell upon one.

"Good thing I keep matches on me." He thought out loud, and lit the torch, revealing a passageway that lead deep into the earth.

A part of him didn't want to go further, but a bigger part of him was scared to stay by the entrance and possibly be caught by a soldier who knew alchemy. He gulped, and made his plunge deep into the secret tunnel.

:

It had been two days since Kimblee's departure, and Winry grew terrified of what would happen upon his return. She knew she couldn't love him, at least not in the way that he desired. It sickened her to think of how he might approach her, and frightened her to think of how he might handle her saying no.

She paced the halls of her underground home as she thought about what was to come. Oh, if only there was another way around this!

Then, she heard a strange thud in the distance, followed by swearing from a voice she didn't recognize. She paused, then continued her pacing. It was often that she'd hear voices echo in her head. They often belonged to the people in her dreams, simply replaying themselves over again.

But then she saw a small light approaching, and that was something she had never experienced. She squeaked, and slipped into her workroom to hide.

It couldn't be Kimblee, could it? He still had one more day on his journey! He never arrived back early, and she hoped he wouldn't break that tradition, especially with what was happening.

She could hear footsteps, a low whistle, and her body froze. Quickly, she grabbed one of her tools that laid stranded on the floor. She took in deep breaths as the footsteps grew louder.

Her heart was beating rapidly, but she wasn't afraid. She couldn't comply to his wishes, and she wasn't going be weak. She wasn't going to let him harm her again.

She scooted to the doorway as the footsteps sounded only a foot away, and when they reached her, she screamed and wailed the man straight in head!

She opened her eyes when she heard the body fall to floor, and let out a scream.

That man was definitely NOT Kimblee!

She ran back into her shop and panted heavily. How in the world did someone get down here? Was he going to hurt her? Did he want her for her power, like Kimblee said so many had before? Now, more than ever, she wished the demented man were there to help her, but she couldn't rely on him anymore. Could she?

"No." She whispered.

She needed to take care of herself.

She steadied her breathing and peaked out into the hall again. The torch that he held in his hand must have died out when she hit him, but the lights from the candles in the rooms were enough for her to see his features. His hair was like hers, only a little darker it seemed. He wasn't much taller than she, perhaps a head taller at most. His shoulders were very broad, a feature her eyes continued to fall on. She took her tool and pushed away a mess of long bangs that covered his face, revealing a strong jaw and pointed nose. He seemed, from what she had read of these things, to be what could be considered handsome…

She shook her head immediately and hardened her face. A man that breaks into a safe haven to steal an innocent girl's powers is  _no_ t handsome. This was no time to be weak or naive, she needed to be brave and take care of herself, if no one else could. She grabbed the unconscious man by the arm and dragged him into her workshop.

She was going to make sure she knew exactly why he came for her.

* * *

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

He woke with blurry vision and a pain in his head. To say that he was disoriented was putting it lightly. It didn't help that the room was so dimly lit, he couldn't focus his eyes on anything. Something felt dry and stiff on his upper eyebrow. Was he bleeding at some point? He tried to move his hand to investigate, but they were tied to something, and they were too far apart to clap and break the binding. He then realized that he, himself, was bound completely.

Damn it.

Blinking heavily, he let out a loud groan, to which something squeaked.

:

She did her best to hide in the dark. Never, in her entire life, had she been in contact with another human, other than Kimblee. She was so frightened, she involuntarily jumped when he finally came to; oh, how would she handle this?

He was looking around the room suspiciously, and she wished she could control her breathing. His eyes were almost following her as she moved through the shadows. He could hear her, but not see her.

"I know you're there." He grunted, and he turned his head directly to her position.

Her heart was beating so fast, she wondered if he could hear that, too. The anxiety was almost too much. How could she handle to be on her own, if she couldn't stand her ground in this very moment? She took in a deep breath, and hardened her stance.

It was now or never. This was her moment to prove her strength. She could handle this.

:

If he was going to be someone's prisoner, he wouldn't make it easy.

He wiggled in his seat, doing his best to fight against the binding, even if it was a losing fight.

"D-don't move!" A shaky voice let out.

He lifted an eyebrow to the dark. "I can't."

"What-" The voice said, then took in a breath. "What are you doing here? State your business!"

His nose crinkled. "What kind of interrogation is this? Who the hell are you?"

He heard a gasp and slowly, ever so slowly, a figured stepped out of the shadows.

The man's jaw went slack. The figure was, in fact, a very pretty girl. Her eyes were large and looked quite frightened. Tightly held in both hands was a large tool, lifted high in a fighting stance as she tried to appear intimidating.

"Answer me." She managed to say, stepping awkwardly around him.

The man rolled his eyes and drooped his head. This was just ridiculous. He didn't want to scare the girl anymore than she already was, but he didn't want to waste anymore time. It was starting to eat at his nerves.

He sighed loudly. "Look, I was being chased and needed a place to hide. Want me out? Then let me go."

:

She paused her circling and eyed his disinterested expression. Did this man take her for an idiot? Ha! He couldn't possibly be telling the truth… Could he?

No. He was trying to trick her, so he could take control of her power. He had to be!

She let out a weak laugh. "And let you use me!? I don't think so."

The squeak that escaped his mouth caught her completely off guard.

"What the-" He shot his head in her direction. "What kind of man do you take me for?"

Winry was very much befuddled at this point. The man looked as if he were offended.

"Well, why else would you be here?!" She shouted, trying to maintain her steely demeanor. "What do you want with me?"

"I don't want anything to do with you!" He shrieked.

The conviction in his tone was too strong to ignore. Was he really telling the truth?

She took a step closer to him, and he gulped as she stared into his eyes, scrutinizing his every twitch.

"You.. Don't want me?" She finally whispered.

"Nng-no." He blurted.

She stared at him hard for another moment, then crept even closer to him. He took in a deep breath as she placed her hands on his vest, running her fingers down its lining. She stopped right under his heart, and slipped her fingers into a hidden pocket.

"Ah-ha!" She exclaimed, and ripped out the item that he was hiding inside. "What's this?"

She dangled the pocket watch in front of his face, then curiously pulled it to hers.

The man panicked. "Give that back. Now!"

Her hand snapped to her chest, making the trinket thud against her abdomen as she shot a hard glare at the man. Whatever this thing was, it seemed important to him. An idea popped into her head, and her glare turned into a smirk.

Ha! Perhaps she found some leverage to get the truth.

"Tell me everything I want to know," she said, fiddling with the chain tauntingly, "and, maybe, I'll give it back to you."

The man scoffed, throwing his head dramatically to the side. Oh! How he picked at her temper! Her cheeks puffed in aggravation as he just stared off into the shadows, ignoring her.

It took a moment, but, eventually, he let out a sigh and hung his head. "Look, I have someone waiting for me. I've gone through Hell to get that and I can't go back without it."

He turned and looked at her, resolve glowed in his warm colored eyes. "I meant what I said, I want nothing to do with you. Just give it back and I promise I'll be gone before you know it."

She wasn't sure what made her believe him, but she did. He wasn't after her power; he was just trying to get home. She wondered what it was like to have a place she would want to call home.

Then, a thought struck her. It was crazy, almost too crazy, but she was in the kind of situation that called for such thoughts.

:

He watched her as she stood, her brow was knitted tightly together in thought. Her eyes kept darting back and forth between him and his precious watch. Eventually, she straightened her posture and focused her sights on him, as if she were to speak.

He didn't expect her to pull the corset of her dress as far out as she could, and drop the watch inside of the garment.

He could feel his eyes nearly pop out of his head at the sight. The shriek that passed through his mouth reached octaves that would put a soprano to shame.

"I will give you back your treasured item," she began, "but only if you take me with you."

Just like that, he was back in Hell.

"Absolutely not." He replied; there was no way he could possibly deal with this woman the entire trek back to his brother.

The girl's cheeks puffed in a childish fit of anger, and he might've laughed as she stamped her foot and placed her hands on her hips, if he weren't so angry himself.

"Fine." She stated. "Then you can stay there and rot."

He glared defiantly at her, but she matched him with an equally hard stare. They stayed like that for quite sometime, waiting for the other give in.

After many minutes, the man groaned and dropped his gaze.

"Fine," he exasperated, "you can join me."

The girl let out a joyous squeal. "Really? Promise?"

He nodded his head reluctantly, and she cut him free.

Rubbing his wrists as he stood from his seat, he hoped that he would be able to retrieve his watch and leave her in a nearby town. She was a pretty girl, he doubted he'd have trouble handing her off to a decent man.

"Excuse me." She muttered, and his musings were stopped as he turned his attention to her. "Might I get your name?"

He smirked at the girl and posed his hands to his sides.

"Edward Elric." He answered proudly. "And you?"

The girl smiled. "Why do you have two names?"

Edward laughed. "Everyone has two names; a first and surname."

"I don't." She replied, the look on her face was unreadable. "I'm just Winry."

Odd, he thought, but shrugged his shoulders in response. "I'm sure you'll get one eventually, but let's go. Don't want to waste time."

The girl nodded her head in response, and they started their ascent to world above.

:

They were heading to the hidden entrance, the entrance that would lead her to the outside world, for the very first time, and Winry's heart just wouldn't be still. She was enthralled, nervous, excited and terrified; all at the same time.

When they reached the end of the tunnel, Winry felt panic begin to build inside of her. Was this the right choice; running off with a man she didn't know and leaving behind everything she ever knew? Perhaps her life underground wasn't so bad. If the world was really as evil as Kimblee claimed, would she even stand a chance?

The sound of Edward's hands clapping together pulled her from her worries, and she watched as he placed them on the stone. Blue light emitted from his finger tips, and, suddenly, she was staring at her gateway to freedom. He stepped out and started to leave, but noticed that she wasn't following behind.

"You okay?" He asked, drooping his head to the side.

She looked down and fiddled with the ends of her hair, embarrassed by her reluctance to leave. "I'm just nervous."

She heard him sigh, and her view of the ground was blocked by his gloved hand.

"C'mon." He urged, and when she lifted her gaze to his, a confident smile took hold of her face.

"Okay."

He pulled her out of the entrance and resealed it, while she stared at the moss that hid the secret passage. There was sunlight peaking through the cracks in the plant, and the brightness mesmerized her, like a moth to a flame. She walked to it, and lightly touched it. Oh! It felt quite strange. She couldn't help but giggle.

"Are you gonna go through it or what?" Edward said behind her, and, before she could answer, shoved her through.

It was so bright, she had to squint her eyes closed for a moment. She blinked them open slowly, taking in the foreign colors and strange scents that attacked her senses. She breathed in deeply, and smiled as she exhaled. When her eyes adjusted to the sunshine, she couldn't believe that she was really looking at the world above.

It was so beautiful, better than anything she had ever dreamed.

She screamed, and began to run through the grass in circles and dance through the flowers, picking them and throwing them high in the air. She couldn't stop jumping and squealing at every little thing, it was all so amazing!

Edward stood by the boulder and watched as she ran rampantly about the area, laughing to himself as she did. She bounded to him and grabbed his hands, forcing him to follow her through a little flower field and pointing out every little thing she saw. None of these things were new to him, but he was intrigued by her enthusiasm. He wondered how long she had been in that place, or if she had ever left it before.

Winry fell back into the grass and smiled at the sky, watching the clouds drift through the vibrant blue above.

"This is incredible." She sighed, and closed her eyes.

Ed watched her from the corner of his eye, and smiled. "If you say so."

He helped her stand once she caught her breath, and, soon after, they started their journey.

 

* * *

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

She called for his presence immediately. It was painstakingly hard to maintain his steely composure, when all he wanted to do was run to the thrown room. He hoped that her royal highness did not have ill-fated news of the war.

He entered the room with a swift turn, paced to her throne, and bowed before his queen.

"You summoned me, your majesty?" His deep voice boomed throughout the spacious hall.

The queen's aged face softened as she lifted her eyes to him. "Indeed, General Mustang. You may rise."

His years in service showed in every movement that he made, for he was quickly back to his feet, standing like a pillar of strength and loyalty. He was the definition of a perfect soldier.

"It seems my castle was raided this morning." She stated, a single grey eyebrow rose to further punctuate the sentence.

If he were a younger man, he would have gasped, shown some kind of worry, but he remained stiff. Only his eyes responded to the comment, his pupils shrinking at the thought of what this could mean.

"It was a small group of thieves that knew alchemy. No one was harmed." She continued. "Your soldiers captured two of the them. It seems they had an interest with my treasure room."

His fists clenched. The bastards.

"One thief, however, made off with a single item." She looked off to the stained glass windows that decorated the high walls of her throne room; the bright hues danced along the white marble floor as the sun shined through them. "The item he stole is worthless by means of gold, but it means the world to me. I want it back, General."

"As you wish, your majesty." He replied. "When shall I start my search for this criminal?"

"Immediately." She answered, and he bowed deeply, then turned to leave the room.

"Oh, General." She called, and he turned to listen further. " You'll be needing your best soldiers for the retrieval. This is no ordinary thief."

The ring in her voice caused his nerves to tingle. "Your majesty, whom am I chasing after?"

She smirked. "Have you heard of the bandit known as the Fullmetal Alchemist?"

:

* * *

:

Edward was at his wit's end.

He was a man who lived off struggle; a poor boy who turned to a life of crime to make ends meet for him and his brother. He fought countless battles, faced seemingly impossible obstacles, risked his life on countless occasions and never broke a sweat. The man faced fate time and time again, welcoming whatever was thrown at him with a confident smirk and a clap of his hands.

Yet here he was, kneeling in front of a childishly fussy woman that he didn't know, and he didn't think he could take anymore. They couldn't have been traveling for more than an hour, and Winry had done nothing but hinder any progress they could have made with her constant whining, jumping at every little sound, and her destructive clumsiness. It was ridiculous! This girl was going to be the end of him, he just knew it.

"Stop whining!" He spat, and gripped her ankle tightly.

She winced, and Ed grumbled as he examined the bottom of her supposedly injured foot.

"Nothing's there, you baby."

"That's because it healed already!" She fussed, her face turned pink from anger.

"Idiot, wounds don't heal that easily!" He snapped.

"Mine do!" She yelled. "And don't call me that, you insufferable jerk!"

He pulled away from her, his eyes were wide as he dramatically swung his arms high in the air.

"How am I a jerk?!" He shrieked. "I'm not the one that tied me up and forced me to let you tag along!"

Her cheeks began to bubble again, as he noticed they often did when she was mad, and Edward clapped his hands to her face, successfully deflating them.

"AAARGH!" Winry screamed, and hit him in the jaw with a hard uppercut.

He flailed his arms wildly in an attempt to maintain balance, before falling flat on his bottom. It hurt a lot more than he would have thought.

He shook his head hard, and refocused his eyes. Winry stood abruptly and stormed off, moving through the forest at a fast pace.

"Hey! Where are you going?" He called, as he rubbed his jaw.

"Away from you!" She shouted, and continued on.

He grumbled something profane under his breath as he stood, and began to run after her.

"Stop!" He called out, but she kept moving.

He was rather stunned by the extreme distance between them, how did she move that fast in such a short time? More importantly, why the hell wasn't she moving like that before? There wouldn't even be a problem now if she did!

"Winry!" He shouted. "Slow down!"

She stopped. He could see her back go slack, as if she were sighing, and she turned around.

When he finally reached her, he had to bend over and take a moment to catch his breath.

"What?" She pouted, and crossed her arms.

Ed rolled his eyes as he panted, and raised a hand to her. "You still have my watch."

:

Winry had never been so angry in her entire life. The nerve of that fiendish, frustrating oaf! Her nostrils flared as she stared down at the foolish man. He didn't care about her, he was worried about his stupid trinket! What an insensitive moron!

She kicked his shin in frustration and stormed off once more. If he wasn't going to have the decency to ask forgiveness, than he was not getting anything from her anytime soon.

"What the hell is your problem, woman?!" He called out, collapsing onto the ground.

"YOU!" She exclaimed.

She could hear him holler as she stomped away.

When she reached the edge of the forest, she sat on the earthy floor and tried to calm herself down. It took a bit of time, but eventually her breathing went back to normal, and her deep desire to beat Edward in the head began to deplete.

His words continued to replay in her head, and as much as she hated to admit it, Edward did have a point. Although he had no right to be as rude as he was, he never wanted her to join. She forced him to let her accompany him on his journey, and she didn't even tell him why. She simply held him hostage until he agreed, hoping that he'd take her far away from that underground prison.

Winry looked back at the forest and thought it might be best for her to apologize. He may be an arrogant brat, but she didn't need to be that way as well. Perhaps, if she explained herself, things would be more amicable between them. If she really was going to travel with this man, they needed to be on good terms.

But how would she even apologize?

Almost absent-mindedly, she pulled the trinket from her dress and stared at it. What was so special about this old thing? What made it so important to Edward? She took in every detail engraved in the dull silver, and noticed a deep grooving that surrounded the outside rim of the strange looking pendant. Did it open?

She picked at the deep groove, trying to pry it open with her nails, but failed. She found a thin rock and tried using it as a wedge to force it open, but found no luck. She stared at it hard, thinking maybe there was a trick to it, like a lock.

Then, a strange thought flashed through her head. She closed her eyes, and tried to pull the thought back to her conscious. The thought formed into a picture behind her eyes, one of a strange formation of lines and shapes. She focused on it, and clung tightly to the trinket. She felt a lightness flow through her, and the trinket 'clicked', opening itself to her.

"How… odd." She whispered, and looked inside.

_A misshapen man stood before her. He was warning her of something, and in his hands was something bright. Too bright. All color was gone, except for this red light._

_"…. Elixir of life…"_

_This caught her ear. 'Life', this was important._

_He didn't want to use it, but she needed him to so desperately. She begged, and he did._

_He took the bright light, from a tiny silver thing-_

_A woman, she was so beautiful._

_She woke up._

_A baby…._

_"….and they will be stolen from you…"_

Winry gasped, and clasped the watch shut.

What was that? What did she just see?

Her body felt strange, as if something was released upon seeing.. whatever it was that she saw. What it another dream, like she had so many times before? She looked at Edward's treasure and pondered these thoughts deeply. She hoped she didn't do something wrong to it. Perhaps it would be best to give it back to him now, and hope that they could start over.

Dangling the item in front her eyes, she gazed in wonder at the strange little object.

She didn't notice the horses running up the path nearby, or the men riding them taking notice of her presence.

"Excuse me, Miss." A deep voice boomed.

Winry jumped at the sound, and turned to see a soldier on horseback. His poise was rigid, and his stare was intense as it landed on the object in her hands.

"Where did you get that?" He asked, and Winry grew frightened.

She tried to stammer out an answer, but the man had already called for his soldiers to 'arrest' her.

Edward might not be getting his precious trinket back after all.

 

* * *

 


	6. Chapter 6

He could hear her scream, despite her being so far away.

He sat up from the ground abruptly, looking around the greenery for a sign of the bratty girl.

"Winry?" he called out, and he spotted her tiny silhouette running towards him.

A group of men on horseback weren't far behind.

"Shit."

"RUN!" she screamed, and grabbed his arm, jerking him to her side.

"What the hell did you do?!" he shouted, trying his best to not get caught in the wild foliage and keep up with the girl.

"Me? What did YOU do?!" she replied, and he noticed the chain of his pocket watch hanging outside of her dress.

 _Damn_. They must have seen it.

The men were getting closer, and he was fearful of the weapons they might have, or the alchemy they may know. He grabbed her by the wrist and made a sharp turn to the right, darting into a darker part of the forest. The horses didn't catch their turn in time, putting a little more distance between them and the soldiers. Edward's grip tightened, and he pulled Winry into another sharp turn, earning a yelp from the girl as she nearly tripped and hurt her ankle. He saw it, and cringed.

"Try to keep up!" he shouted to her. "We can't slow down!"

He could hear as she fought to stifle back tears, but continued on.

The horses caught up to them. They were just as close as they were before, and Edward swore loudly as he tried to formulate a new escape route. Winry's limping was apparent as she ran, fighting to keep her tears from breaching. He clenched his teeth and pulled her into another sharp turn.

A fallen tree blocked their path, and Edward jumped over it. Winry attempted to mimic, but her injured foot hit the bark and sent her hurdling into Edward's back.

They tumbled down a steep hill. Edward flipped himself and grabbed the girl by her shoulders, pulling her to his chest. He wore garments to protect himself from rough terrains, she didn't. When they met flat ground, he lifted her to her feet and began running again. The soldiers couldn't be far behind, even if he couldn't see their location at that moment.

He could feel Winry pull against him; she was losing momentum, and he didn't think he could keep going, either.

There was a cave in the distance. He knew the soldiers would inspect it immediately, but if he could alchemically create a hiding spot within it, maybe they'd be safe. He pulled Winry towards it, and her eyes locked on to the blackness within its opening.

"No!" she cried, her body shaking and pulling from his hold. "I won't go back in the dark!"

The fear in her voice caused Edward to pause, but only for a moment.

"I promise you'll come back out," he vowed, and tightened his grip on her. "But we need to go. Now!"

He pulled her into the mouth of cave, and they plunged into the darkness.

It was hard to navigate in the solid black of the cave, but Edward felt his way through with his free hand against its walls. The other was clenched tightly in Winry's hand, and he maintained a firm grip, as if to tell her that he wouldn't leave her there to be alone in the ground once more. He wasn't sure why her fear affected him so, but in a way, it helped give him the drive to keep moving. He wasn't going to let her stay afraid.

"I'm not going back," he heard her whisper. "I'm not going back there, I'm not going back."

They reached the cave's end, and Edward found a deep crevice within the walls that would fit both of them perfectly. All he needed to do was alchemically create a barrier to hide behind. He tried to retract his hand from hers, but Winry refused to let go.

"I'm not leaving," he told her, but her grip did not ease. "Winry, let go!"

Fire spiraled its way between them, barely kissing the leather of Edward's glove before Winry reluctantly pulled away.

"What the hell?" Edward spat, and his wide eyes landed on a small fire, held in the hands of a black eyed soldier.

"Stop running," the soldier warned, and he rose his hand high slowly. "And I'll spare you from unspeakable pain."

Edward snarled at the man.

"Dammit," he growled, and, quickly, began to formulate a plan of escape.

:

Winry was quaking in fear. Her stare snapped between the soldier and Edward at a panicked speed. He was going to hurt them,  _he was going to hurt them._ She didn't want to feel anymore pain, but Edward couldn't heal the way she could.

She unconsciously clasped her hand around the chain of Edward's watch. The black-eyed shoulder saw her movement, saw the chain, and the ominous hand risen high above the flame moved its fingers to a snapping position.

"Surrender to me the watch," he ordered darkly. "Now!"

Winry gasped. He's manipulating the flame, she thought, though she didn't know how she knew. It was instinctive, almost. Somehow, she knew that if he should snap his fingers, the flames would propel into them, into  _Edward_.

She couldn't let him be harmed. Not when he was her only chance at escaping, when he was the only one on her side.

She took a step forward, but tripped on a piece of loose earth. Edward saw her in his peripheral vision, and the soldier, misinterpreting her bad footing as the beginnings of an assault, snapped his fingers. Winry saw a glint of silver hit the ground before a twisting, vibrant light blasted into them.

Edward pushed her back, letting his right side be engulfed in fire. He screamed as the heat burned through the fabric of his shirt, marring the skin of his right arm. Winry couldn't make a sound; the red and yellow of the flame illuminated the fear etched into her features.

Edward was still screaming as he clapped his hands and slapped the cave's wall. The area quaked, large rocks fell from over head. The soldier quickly backed away, but his sight stayed glued on them. Edward was panting hard, and with another clap, he slammed his hands against the wall once more, and an opening appeared. He took Winry's hands in his, and they made their ascent to the outside world once more.

But before Edward grabbed her hand, and before the portal was fully formed, Winry locked eyes with the soldier. It was only for a moment, but it felt as if time had frozen within those few seconds. The falling rocks did nothing to distract him, but she saw that as she moved to escape, his expression transfigured to something like shock.

She did not dwell on that moment long, however, for soon she and Edward were back to running as fast as they could, never once looking back.

:

* * *

:

Mustang nearly collapsed as he staggered out of the cave.

"That girl," he muttered to himself. "It-it was like looking at a ghost."

Her hair, her eyes, her  _face._  There was no mistaking it; she was the mirror image of the late Princess Sara. Could it be that she…

"Impossible," he told himself. "How could she have survived all these years?"

One of his men reported to his side.

"Sir," he stated. "We saw an explosion on the side of the cave and scanned the area. Are you harmed?"

"At ease, soldier," Mustang ordered. "I am well."

He stood slowly, dusting the earth from his uniform. "The suspects escaped. I need you and the others to report back to the kingdom."

He paused for a moment. "If I'm correct, we're going to have to turn this higher rank retrieval into a full-blown manhunt."

"Sir?" the soldier questioned, but his superior chose to ignore the comment.

"What are you waiting for? Go now!" Mustang ordered, and the man swiftly moved away.

He wasn't going to follow them back to the kingdom. He had somewhere more important to go, with someone very important to find.

If he was right in what he was thinking, the Fullmetal Alchemist held something much more valuable in his possession to the Queen than a pocket watch.

:

* * *

 

:

They had made a great distance between themselves and the soldiers, when Edward collapsed. Winry was still running when it happened, and she let out the shrillest of squeals as her body was pulled down with his.

"Edward?" she whispered, and tapped his side when he made no response. "Edward, speak to me."

For a moment, she thought he was dead, but when she saw the rise and fall of his back, she quickly calmed.

Suddenly, she remembered the flames, and how he had screamed as the fire made contact with his body. She turned her attention to his right arm, and covered her mouth as she gasped. The skin was mutilated; stained in putrid shades of red, white and purple. Blisters and swelling were visible on nearly the entire limb, and it pained her to look at it.

"Oh god," she breathed, and tightened her hand against her mouth. "He must have lost consciousness from the pain."

Oh, was there something she could do? The poor boy was so hurt, and these wounds were so bad. What if he died? She couldn't bear the thought of such a horrid thing. He was a brat, but he saved her life!

A thought struck her. Kimblee often took her blood to heal small wounds when he came home from his journeys, perhaps that would work for Edward! She searched his person for a sharp object, but he carried nothing of the sort.

"Dammit," she muttered, then berated herself for using such language.

She tried to bite down hard on her lip, to just draw a little blood, but cried out before she could. Oh, what was she going to do!

It happened again.

A strange correlation of shapes and patterns flashed behind her eyes, and, before she could think, she pulled that thought to the front of her mind, and placed her hands on Edward's wounds.

A faint red glow emitted from beneath her palms, and she let out a soft breath as a lightness flowed through her unlike anything she had ever felt. Her vision blurred and her mind flooded with colors and imprints of strange, archaic designs. Her limbs tingled with a strange cold, and her breathing grew tremulous and irregular. Her muscles tightened as the final surge of energy shot through her, and she became hyper aware of all that surrounded her.

The bugs, birds, and other creatures of the forest sang in an ancient, native tongue that echoed through her head as she gasped harshly, releasing Edward's arm and falling back into the grass. She panted as she stared into the evening sky. Her nerves itched with a strange sensation, and she craned her neck to see if she did it; to see if Edward was okay.

:

He sucked in the night air as if he were a drowning man. His chest vibrated in an unharmonious pattern, and he grasped his injured arm as he abruptly shot up from the ground. His ears buzzed, and his face felt hot. He tried to calm his breathing, but failed to do so. Releasing a deep, staggered breath, his eyes darted to his right arm.

It was fine.  _How was it fine?_

He looked to Winry, who was rolling on to her stomach, slowly lifting herself into an upright position.

"It worked," she whispered. "I can't believe it worked."

What worked? What did she do?

Any type of coherence left his mind as he noticed the chain of the watch was no longer hanging from outside of her dress.

 _"_ You didn't," he stammered, his features hardened. "Tell me you didn't.."

She blinked, and her face fell. "You were hurt, you could have died!"

"So you used it?!" he barked, throwing his fist down into the ground.

"Used what?" she yelled back, and her eyes grew wide.

She placed a hand on her chest, patting the area for something that was now gone.

"Edward, I-I'm so sorry."

He thought he might get sick. Rage, fear, defeat; they all engulfed his being as Winry stammered apologies. He slammed his hand into the ground again.

"Dammit!"

That was his only chance at helping him- of helping his brother. Damn it all, after everything he went through, why was it gone?!

He continued to thrash his fist into the earth.

"Edward!" she shrieked, and he barely noticed the small stone that cut through leather and wedged itself in-between his knuckles.

She quickly snatched his hand and inspected the wound. Her slender fingers clasped the stone and removed it almost painlessly.

"You idiot!" she exclaimed, and angrily removed the glove. "I just healed you!"

She then closed her eyes, and placed two fingers on the wound. He saw a red spark, and a strange heat warmed the skin of his hand. A rush of energy flowed through his arm, through him, and he gasped as she let go of him.

There was no trace of the wound.

"What the hell?" he shrieked, and backed away from her with rapid speed.

He immediately regretted the action, for the pained expression Winry wore made him want to reach for her. He glanced at his hand, then back at her.

"What," he began, then cleared his throat. "What the hell was that?

:

This was it. She couldn't withhold the truth any longer.

It was now or never; she needed to tell Edward everything.

His sharp, gold stare never wavered. What will happen when he knows? How will he look at her, what will he do with her? Her heart was beating so rapidly, and she feared her voice would fail her. She inhaled deeply through her nose, and released the breath quickly through her mouth.

"I," she whispered, looking down at her hands. "I don't know how, but I can do things. Things people shouldn't be able to do."

She coiled and uncoiled her fingers, then flipped her hands to look at her palms.

"I lost my family before I could even remember them," she continued. "They were killed, and all they wanted to do was protect me."

She paused, took another breath, and continued

"I lived in that... place, because of that," she stated, her voice would not yet let her raise its volume. "Because people wanted my power. They wanted me, to take my blood and hands, and use me for things I can't even imagine."

She wanted to look up, to see how Edward was looking at her, but she was too frightened.

"The man who protected me, raised me and taught me everything I know, tried to make me his," and she stifled a whimper at the memory of his hands on her, and how horrible it felt. "But I couldn't love him. Not like that."

She took another moment to breathe, to keep herself from breaking down. "I wasn't safe there anymore. So, when you came and you said you didn't want me, I thought, maybe, I can escape. I could go somewhere new, somewhere really safe, and I was scared that if I told you, you'd refuse, or maybe start to want me for the reasons so many others did."

Oh, how she wanted to see his face, to know what he must be thinking.

"I just want to be safe, to find a new home and be free of all this," she told him. "I didn't mean to frighten you by doing what I did, and I'm sorry that I took your treasure. I-I-"

Then, she risked it.

She looked up at him through the curtain of her hair, and his expression caused her to feel a lightness in her stomach that emulated when she used her powers. His eyes were wide, and his mouth hung slightly open, but he did not look away from her. He looked frightened, and she wondered if it was because of her, or because of what she told him.

Her lip quivered, and she couldn't hold back her tears any longer. All the pain that she felt from being alone so many nights, of fearing the world and everything in it, and all the anguish her young heart held throughout her life surfaced, and it was too much for her to bear. She twined her fingers into the grass, and cried. She choked on whimpers and inhaled tears, gasping as her head dropped towards the ground.

:

It was too much, it was just too damn much for one person to take.

He listened in horror as she told him, and her words made his stomach sink.

It made so much damn sense; her fearful looks, what she said underground, why he found her all alone in the dark..

His fists clenched in rage over it. How could someone justify such treatment? How could someone leave a poor girl in a place like that?

Her powers. It was all because of that. People wanted her for it, wanted to use her for it, and it made him feel sick. So sick, because he had done something for almost the same reason.

Would he have been one of those men, had he known of her power long ago? Could he possibly be the kind of man to hunt her, to use her for his own benefit? Wasn't that what he was after the watch for; because of what he heard it could do, and hoped it would for him?

Then he saw her lip tremble, her eyes fog with tears, and he knew his answer.

No, he could never to that to someone, especially someone like her. Although the pain of losing it caused a dull ache in his heart, the watch was just an object. She was a breathing, feeling, living being. He could never bring himself to cause someone like her harm, nor could he bring himself to hate her for losing the object in which he pined.

He moved to her, placed his hands atop of her shoulders, and when she looked up to him, he pulled her into his chest.

"You are safe. I swear it," he whispered, and she grasped the fabric of his shirt tightly as her sobs grew harder.

He didn't know what he'd do now that he had lost what he searched so desperately for, but he found a momentary solace as he held her in his arms.

:

Perhaps, they could find what they were looking for in each other. A cure, a home; it was possible that the only way to reach these things, was when they held each other in their grasp.

 

* * *

 


	7. Chapter 7

_She could hear him coming._

_His footsteps were loud, but casual. The sound of confidence was apparent in each stride, and it made her body shake in fear._

_Winry could envision the smirk plastered on his pale skin. She could see the dark need in his eyes before they ever came into view, and her knowing made her even more frightened._

_The thought of this encounter made her sick. She could feel something burning at the back of her throat, the clenching within her insides and the stony aftermath of each muscle's flinch._

_He was close, so very close, and she wanted to scream. She wanted to call out for someone, anyone, but no one could hear her in the depths of the earth. No one would find her buried underground, far away from all that was considered safe. The steps went silent, and she knew he was there. The blackness of the hall hid him, but she could feel his presence; sense his eyes undressing her as she stood immobile._

_"Hello, my darling lotus."_

_She wanted to vomit. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry out the name of any creature, man or not, that could save her from this hell._

_He crept towards her, and little by little the flames illuminated his features, making Winry gasp._

_It was Kimblee, but never had she seen him in such a state. He was younger; his eyes held a wildness that she never saw before, and he was covered in blood. His smile was cynical, and it twisted so deeply, it looked inhuman. She couldn't keep her face from contorting. It was ghastly, no, horrific, the way he stared. His hands hadn't touched her, but she felt violated._

_He moved closer, and the dark room transfigured into the darkness of the night. He grabbed her, held her by her hair, and his laugh was so venomous that she could not stop herself from crying._

_There was a man calling out for her, but he was saying a name that was not her own. He was inside of a carriage, his eyes shined like crystals as the glow of fire highlighted his tears. Kimblee's hands traced the length of her neck, and something swiped across._

_It happened too fast for her to make any response. She simply fell, watching as this man cried out for her, hearing Kimblee's laughter echoing as she drifted in and out of blackness._

_"My baby.."_

_"Please, my baby.."_

_"….Winry."_

Something bright shined into her eyes. She winced at it, covered her face, but she couldn't hide from it. Strange, she thought, her candle never shined so intensely.

She peaked through a veil of her hair, and was faced with the vision of tall and twisting trees that reached towards the sky. The airy sound of birds singing a good morning song whispered through the leaves, sweetly waking the forest with it soft melody. Sitting up quickly, she wiped away the morning dew that moistened her skin. She found herself nestled in between the roots of a large tree, and smiled.

It was a dream. A strange, confusing and not real dream.

Winry let out a shaky breath. She wasn't in the hollow underground, she wasn't going to have to face Kimblee, she was far away and, for now, was safe.

Rubbing her arms absentmindedly, she looked about the area, taking in the colors of the forest. The blues, browns and greens were all so captivating to her.

From the corner of her eye, she caught a splash of gold, and looked to it.

It was Edward, slumped against the very same tree. His hair was tousled and falling out of the braid he kept it in. His mouth was hanging open, making his snoring more audible. The sight was quite comical, and Winry giggled at it. She moved to him and shook him lightly, and he whined and twisted his body in response. Sighing, she moved closer and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Edward," she whispered in a sing-song tone. "Wake up, sleepyhead."

He moaned and squirmed and whined once more, but his eyes opened. The warm, speckled colors of his irises caused Winry to realize just how close she was to him. His face flushed and she squeaked, quickly bouncing away from him.

There was a moment of silence, but Winry quickly composed herself and smiled.

"Good morning." she said, and Ed nodded in response, his cheeks still a noticeable shade of pink.

Looking at him now, and remembering how she had cried in his arms, made Winry's mind feeling quite muddled. Aside from the sheer embarrassment she felt, she was terrified that, now that everything had settled in, he might change his mind about what he said.

You are safe, I swear it.

Did he really mean that? Did he honestly believe he could help her, even save her? Logically, she wasn't sure it could be done.

The sound of shuffling pulled her from her thoughts, and she looked to see Edward standing, his gloved hand held out for hers to take.

"Come on," he grumbled, running his free hand over his face. "Let's get going. We've got some ground to cover today."

Winry blinked, and silently abided. He pulled her up with ease, and their eyes lingered on one another as she gained balance; searching for something, but what they weren't quite sure.

"Edward," she finally said, letting go of him. "Thank you so much, for everything, but I can't ask you to risk your safety for my own. It's selfish to-"

"Hold your damn tongue."

Winry was stunned into silence. The sternness in his tone was surprising, but, despite his words being so harsh and his expression being rather ferocious, she could sense that he meant no harm.

"You really expect me to leave you behind, after you forced me to bring you along, and after all of that happened?" He crossed his arms and his brow crinkled deeper. "Like hell I'm doing that."

Her lip quivered, and she smiled. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you, it was foolish to say."

"Damn right," he said, gifting her a smirk back. "Besides, you owe me one."

Winry chuckled, and placed her hands on her hips. "How so?"

He uncrossed his arms and placed him behind his head, leaning into a more comfortable stance. "You lost my watch, so you have to help me find another relic with specially amplified alchemic properties. By the way, it's not easy."

Winry's jaw dropped, and Ed laughed as he began to walk off. She hurried behind, contemplating what he had said.

That watch had alchemic properties, so that meant it was used for alchemy. Is that what he was doing when clapped his hands: alchemy? She could remember tomes on the subject nestled in Kimblee's room. She was forbidden to read such things; he told her the studies were impure and impractical. She believed that to be so, when she was naive enough to believe that Kimblee had her best interests at heart, but now did she think differently? She analyzed Edward for a moment, and decided that it did.

That didn't explain to her, however, the need for that watch. She didn't know anything about alchemy, but from what she had witnessed of Edward, he seemed to have a good understanding of it, or at least that's how it looked. Just what in the world did he need such a thing for? Why would he want to amplify his alchemy?

She remembered his responses to her questions in the underground fortress. He said he went through hell to get it, but why? Would it be rude to ask? Would be get defensive?

She then remembered all that she had shared with him. If she could tell him of all that horror, than he should at least be able to confide in her this simple thing.

She stopped, and after a moment, he stopped, too.

"You okay?" he asked over his shoulder.

She stared for a moment at him, her fists clenched tightly.

"Edward," she began. "Why did you want that watch so badly?"

His face dropped, and Winry's blood felt like broken glass pulsing through her veins.

:

:

Roy stopped in front of the ominous gates, his teeth clenched together tightly. It had been years, no, decades since he'd seen this place. He didn't ever want to come back, but sometimes life doesn't always allow a person's wants to be realized.

He walked forward and past through the opening for the mercenary hideaway. He hoped that the layout of the place was still the same, but as he thought about it, he doubted it would ever change. Hired killers weren't much for architecture or design. What he was worried most about was if the people changed, or more importantly, if the person we was looking for was still alive.

The bar was still the focal point of this run down fort. Looking at it made him think of when he was young, listening to the tales of how this once military base was taken over by murderers and thieves.

More like ransacked and pillaged, he thought, and entered the small vicinity.

Like he had seen many years ago, the place was alive with criminals of every trade, blundering around as they drank, fought, gambled, or acquired partners for sins of the flesh. He could remember being a young boy, running around and through the legs of men and women, hungry for the other's touch. How he wasn't scarred by these things as a child, he'll never know.

"Hello, Roy," a gruff voice muttered, a voice that Roy hadn't heard in so long, he nearly forgot how much he actually missed it.

"Hello, Madame," he smiled, and it was honest.

The hefty woman eyed him up and down, then smirked as she gestured for him to follow her to the bar. He obeyed, and sat on a secluded stool.

"Are you still a rum man?" she asked, already pouring a glass of thick, dark vice.

Roy licked his lips, but held his hand up in protest. "I can't right now, Madame. I'm not here for pleasure."

The woman passed him the glass anyway, her thick hands rested against the the top of the bar. "When you come to visit me, it better not be for business. It's been ten years, Roy. Don't think I haven't been counting."

Guilt hit the man hard, and he took the drink. He wasted no time indulging in the crisp, sense-killing taste. Wine could never quench his thirst for such a flavor. He moved the glass back to the woman, and she filled it again, leaning towards him as she slid it back to his open hand.

"What brings you in, Son?" she asked, her dark eyes searching for the answer as he took another deep drink.

He placed the glass down. "I'm looking for someone, off duty."

She nodded in understanding, and scanned the room in seconds. "Who might it be?"

"Must you ask?" he said softly, and she smirked.

"Walk past the staircase, table under the loft," she answered. "Watch yourself. You haven't been around for a long time, and if someone recognizes that uniform, I don't want blood staining my floor."

A smug smile took over his mouth as he stood. "I assure you, you needn't worry about my blood being spilt."

He moved in the direction that the madame suggested, earning grunts and grimaces from the criminals surrounding him. He chose to ignore these things, however. Even if he was a master of flame alchemy, he wasn't fool enough to think he could take these men on without destroying everything and everyone within the vicinity.

He reached the steps, but was stopped by a large brute.

A swarm of outlaws, hungry for a fight, began to surround the two, teeth bared and weapons raised. Roy took in the sight of them, and groaned.

"I'm not in the position to fight all of you at once," he stated, earning chuckles and hoots from the motley looking crew. "So, if you value your lives, sit back down and carry on about your night."

The crowd broke into a laughing frenzy, and an enormous finger shoved at Roy's chest.

"You don't belong here." the large man grunted.

Roy sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose lightly. "Go on and swing, I'm not in the mood for a monologue."

The man growled, and a mighty fist made its way towards Mustang's face. He ducked low, and swung hard into his knee, successfully damaging the joint and throwing the man off balance. Roy came back up swiftly and threw an uppercut into his jaw, then, balling both fists together to increase momentum, threw an elbow into his temple. The giant lost consciousness, and the other criminals watched with wide eyes as the his massive head bounced off the wooden floor.

Roy stretched his shoulders unenthusiastically and massaged his fist. "Man, I'm rusty. That guy's jaw nearly broke a finger."

"You bastard!" a criminal growled, and lunged at him.

The thought of snapping his fingers almost crossed his mind, but an arrow shot at the attacker, successfully scraping the tip of his nose, and hitting an inked face on one of the many wanted signs hanging by the doorway of the building.

Roy glanced at the arrow, not bothering to hide his large grin. "Your aim is too far right."

A hooded figure walked to his side, a bow in hand.

"I meant to aim right," the figure stated. "The man in the sign only has one eye."

He nodded in understanding, and turned his attention to the cloaked savior.

"It's been too long, Riza," he whispered, but the figure made no response.

"Knock off the damn squabbling!" the madame finally shouted. "Or I'll throw all of you out!"

The crowd calmed, and the hooded figure, or Riza, began to walk back behind the staircase. Roy followed, looking for signs of swaying hips or graceful hands beneath the deep colored cloak. He saw nothing, however, as he sadly thought he would. The hooded archer before him was raised by a clan that knew no gender, therefore such tantalizations did not exist to hir.

The table was hidden by the lack of lighting. Riza's cloak blended well with the shadows. As Roy sat down, he felt as though he looked to be sitting by himself. That was fine with him; he wanted this conversation to be as low key as possible.

"Why," Riza began, hir voice no longer masked with an emotionless vernacular. "Why are you back?"

He stared hard at the darkness, imagining the burning light of hir ruby eyes. It had been too long since he looked at them.

"I need your help," he confessed, and his fingers laced together atop the table.

It was silent between them. An intensity brewed in the air around them, thick with an electric reaction as their bodies took in the sight, sound and smell of the other.

"Start talking," sie ordered.

Roy fiddled with his thumbs as he stared at nothing.

"I'm sure you know the 'Fullmetal Bandit'?" he asked, and Riza hummed in agreement.

"A talented young alchemist; reminds me of you," sie replied.

Roy didn't know whether to be flattered or insulted. "Well, I'm on the hunt for him."

A single, small chuckle escaped from hir throat.

"Why would you be chasing after him?" sie asked, intrigued and humored. "He's a harmless thief; hardly the kind of criminal a general needs to worry about."

Roy leaned into his hands, his fingers masked the entirety of his face, except for his eyes.

"He has something, or someone, of great value to the queen," he whispered.

"Someone?"

If he still knew Riza like he had in his youth, hir pupils were most likely dilating over the statement. He hoped hir curiosity would pull the archer to his plans. He hoped he could still rope hir in.

"Yes," he answered, and leaned in closely to the dark. "If I'm right, I do believe there is still a living heir to the Resembool throne."

He half expected hir to gasp, but saddened when he remembered that Riza held a steely disposition. He should know sie wouldn't show surprise; hir emotions were as camouflaged as they were now in the dark.

"I see," was all sie said.

He stayed leaned in, peering at the darkness. He wanted to reach out a hand to hir, to pull the darkness away from hir body.

"I need you to help me track him," he whispered, lightly squirming as his ribs dug into wood. "I must capture him at all costs; dead or alive."

The darkness tensed, and hir breath warmed the bridge of his nose.

"I won't kill him," sie stated. "He's just a child."

"I never asked you to," he replied.

Hir breathing was steady, and the warmth of each exhale that touched his skin was intoxicating. He had almost forgotten how much this one person affected him.

"You know I can't say 'no' to you," Riza sighed, as sie moved away, and Roy began to feel cold without hir near.

"I'll pay you handsomely," he offered, and the darkness tensed again.

"How dare you?" sie growled, and his stomach twisted. "I don't want your money."

He knew where this would lead, but feigned ignorance. "I can't ask of you this favor without proper payment, Riza."

"Don't you dare pretend to forget," sie warned. "You saved my life, Roy. I'm in your debt."

Roy cleared his throat, and pulled away from hir. His body fought him back, however, moving much slower than his brain signaled.

"You owe me nothing," he confessed. "That was payment to your elder. I couldn't let you be- I owed hir that."

"Your debt to my elder died along with hir," Riza snapped, but hir voice suddenly softened. "I am here today, because of you. I owe you everything that I am."

Hir words startled him, ignited something within him that he thought died so many years ago.

Riza removed the dark and heavy hood, revealing amber hair and irises of fire. No wonder he was so mesmerized by the flame; it mirrored the archer's eyes so perfectly.

"My life is yours, Roy," Riza whispered, and he couldn't pull away from the flames. "I'd follow you into Hell, if you asked."

And into Hell, they would go, he thought, but at least they'd be together.

:

:

Edward wasn't expecting this. At least, not so soon.

His heart was racing far too fast. He felt like a child that had been caught doing something naughty, baring the look of terror before his punishment began.

Winry looked frightened, too, and he berated himself for stalling.

"I'm sorry," she stammered, shaking her head and hands before him. "I shouldn't have asked."

"No," he stated, and began to take deep breaths. "It's okay."

Winry moved to comfort him, but hesitated. He didn't notice, however, as he was focusing on where to start, how to tell her, whether or not he should tell her every detail and, finally, if this was a good idea in the first place. He told himself to stop fretting, that he owed her the truth after everything she told him; equivalent exchange, after all.

He sat where he stood, and Winry moved over to him, kneeling beside him.

"When I was a kid, I lived in a little cottage with my family," he began. "It was just me, my mom and brother, and I couldn't have ever wanted more than that."

The memory of his mother's garden, and playing in the field by their home made his heart grow heavy.

"Al, my brother, and I used to practice alchemy, and our mother would encourage us, say we had a talent no one else had. We loved the attention, and practiced every chance we had. Our mother was our world. We wanted nothing, but to make her happy."

His teeth clenched, and his eyebrows twisted together.

"One night, in the summer, we were practicing a complex transmutation. We wanted -hmph- well, we never knew our father, and she never said anything, but we knew she missed him. I don't know what happened to him. I think he left one day, and never came back."

He remembered creeping out of his room late at night, and peaking into the living area to see his mother staring out at the darkness with a torch lit in the window.

"We tried to make a sign in the sky. We wanted to help guide him home."

An empty feeling hit is stomach, and a numbness flooded his nerves. He cleared his throat and continued.

"But it backfired. The array went off inside our home, we were so stupid. Mother caught us, but not fast enough."

He remembered the fire; the sparks blinding him, the sounds of explosions deafening him.

"She used her own body to protect us, but I was the only one that came out okay. Alphonse's body was injured far behind repair. He couldn't move, could barely talk, and now he's fallen into some kind of sleep that he can't wake from. I wanted the watch, so I could fix him."

He remembered how much Al looked like their mother before the accident.

"I just want to see him smile again."

He let out a shaky exhale, and felt something wet hit his shoulder before being engulfed in a tight hug. It took him by surprise, and he wasn't sure if he should hug her back or not.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "That's so awful. I-I wish I hadn't been so careless."

"It's… not your fault," he muttered, and rested an arm around her.

There was a pregnant pause as Winry tried to stifle her whimpers. She pulled away, wiping at her wet cheeks with her small knuckles. She sniffed, and suddenly, her eyes grew wide.

"Maybe," she began, trying to formulate the words as she spoke. "Maybe I can do it."

Ed didn't comprehend what she was trying to say. "Do what?"

She deadpanned. "Heal your brother, dummy!"

"Hey!" he shouted defensively, then her words sunk in. "Hey…"

"I think I can do it," she confirmed, placing a hand on his knee. "I mean, I healed you, and I heal myself without even thinking."

He stared at the ground stupefied. Could it be that she could be the prize of his journey? Could she really help him? He thought of her power, and the possibility made his heart race.

But he thought of the man who used her, who harmed her for baring such a gift, and he grew hesitant.

"Winry," he said. "I-it would be amazing, but… I don't want to use you."

Winry tilted her head inquisitively.

"You can't use me if I offer to help." she told him.

This statement changed everything.

"Winry," he said, staring boldly into her eyes. "If you did this for him… It would mean everything to me. I would forever be in your debt."

The girl sniggered and smiled softly. "Oh, I know. I plan on using that to my advantage."

He paid no heed to the sly remark, for he was far too focused on the fact that she was going to help him heal his brother. His heart was in his throat, his grin grew wide and he hugged her fiercely.

"Winry, if I believed in miracles, you'd damn-well be one!" he exclaimed, and she laughed as she hugged him back tightly.

When the excitement settled, they got to their feet and began walking once again. The sun was high, and they had the rest of the day to reach what he believed would be a safe resting point. Despite being a cautious mind, Edward couldn't stop the adrenaline pulsing through him as he thought of returning to his brother.

She skipped along beside him, still gasping and awing over the little wonders of the world. He thought he was going wet himself when she saw her first dragonfly, swatting and wailing at it like a frightened toddler. When he buckled over from laughter, she stamped her foot and bubbled her cheeks, as she had done before, but eventually began to giggle as well. To think, not even a day ago he wanted to be rid of Winry, and now he couldn't imagine going home without her.

The journey back was still long, but he was ready to face it; so long as she was with him.

:

:

She wasn't there.

He tore through every room, ripped apart every object possible of hiding her away, but she was gone.

"WINRYYY!" He screeched, his vocal chords nearly ripping. "COME OUT, COME OUT!"

But there was no response. Only the sounds of a mad man screaming into blackness.

The little brat, he thought. Somehow, that damned little princess got away. His nails cut the palms of his hands as snarled and spat wildly. He roared as he took a vial of his lotus' blood and destroyed the tunnels of the underground fortress. He laughed a high, cold laugh as he watched the earth around him crumble, running only when the tunnel dared to take him with it.

He stormed out into the sunlight, and his fury returned. He breathed deeply and wildly, but paused when he caught a strange scent. It was as if his mind had turned primal, for he ran through the forest like a wild animal, smelling the air with fervent need. He stopped near a steep drop of mud and rocks, and near a collection of sharpened pieces, sat a small ruby colored pebble. He clawed his way down to it, and hovered over the gem of Winry's blood like a predator would to its prey. He inhaled deeply, and smiled a wicked smile.

"You may be gone," he muttered, licking his lips hungrily. "But I will find you."

:

:

:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to go back to the beginning of Riza's introduction and rewrite them the way I envisioned the character from the very beginning: as non-binary. Riza's pronouns will be sie/hir throughout the entire piece. If anyone reading this is non-binary and notices something that seems a little off, please let me know! Most of Riza's characterizing is written with a friend in mind who personifies this character to me, but I'll take any comments or critiques you have!


	8. Chapter 8

:

:

:

The sounds of the bar below them could still be heard as they moved to the room. The Madame always kept one open for hir, should sie ever find hir way back to this place sie once called home. Every nerve in her body was reaching for him, but sie did hir best to remain in control, no matter how badly hir fingers wanted to travel through his hair, or how much hir tongue craved to taste his milky skin.

Roy locked the door as sie blew out the light from the oil lamp, and once the blinds were pulled, they grasped on to one another. Their hands moved in a frenzy of dire need, their mouths formed to one another in a physical attempt to create a language all their own.

Riza was not a creature of desire. Those born in the ways of hir people were not a slave to emotions or wants, for those things weakened the senses; dulled the mind. Sie was bred to be a cold and calculated weapon of destruction; to follow orders faithfully and without question, and sie proved to be exceptional. Sie never thought of a life aside from hir people and their creed. Sie never pined for the touch of another, never longed to know what it felt like to cry out from pleasure in the blackness of the night. That was, until sie met Roy.

He undid the binding that hid hir curves as sie thought of the young boy left in the wreckage of hir people's wrath...

_He clung so tightly to his elder's body, crying tears of pain and fury as their leader brought hir sword up high. Never had sie faltered in the face of death, but sie grasped hir own elder's hand and looked to hir with pleading eyes, right before the fatal blow was struck to the weeping child._

Lips traveled down hir navel and gasps escaped hir mouth rapidly and fervently, like a bird's wings as it burst free from its cage.

_Hir elder nearly died, but the boy was safe. They traveled the southern edges of the country, pillaging towns and claiming land in the name of their king. It was an honor in hir people's eyes to further their ruler's claim, but not to the orphan boy that lost everything. He hated them for not letting him be with his 'mother' and 'father', and sie found hirself hating him for hating hir._

Hir nails ripped at his shoulders, and he growled into hir skin.

_Sie caught him leaving camp one night, and followed closely behind, hir bow in hand. No one could ever leave once they had joined hir people's cause, no matter how they found their way in. Sie called his name, and rose hir weapon to him when he turned._

His body swept over hirs, moving fluidly as his hands wrapped around hir middle, causing Riza to moan.

_He moved close to hir, his eyes daring hir to shoot. Sie took aim. Sie had a perfect shot, but couldn't let go of the arrow. Never had sie hesitated before, never had hir heart raced at such a debilitating speed. Sie closed hir eyes tightly, willing hirself to let go, but in hir moment of weakness, he brought hir to the ground. Sie struggled, but he was stronger than hir._

_"Why do you listen to them?" he yelled, and Riza was silent. "Do you want to be a killer?"_

His breath felt like hot steam against hir ear, and sie kissed the edge of his jaw softly.

_He tightened his grip on hir wrists, and sie whimpered._

_"Don't you care cry," he said through teeth. "This is nothing compared to what you and those people have done."_

_Riza's rage boiled, and sie struck him in the mouth with hir head, knocking him off of hir. Sie grabbed her bow, grabbed an arrow, and pointed it at him once more._

_"Do it," he told hir. "Do it now! I don't want to live if it means I have to be one of you."_

Their breathing was quickening, turning more and more into pants as they took in each inhale.

_Sie slowly stood, hir bow was still pointed as sie moved over to him. He stood as well, his eyes boring into hirs. Hir sensed had never felt so on fire as when sie looked at him. The moment sie was in arms reach of him, sie dropped hir bow, and grabbed a hold of him._

"Riza," he whispered, and the sound trickled through hir being, growing from ripples to waves; crashing down on hir mind and pulling hir down into the depths of pure, exhilarated bliss.

_It was unexpected, completely unplanned. Sie hated this 'boy', yet sie found hirself unable to keep hir mouth from meeting his, and when he kissed back with a deep and aggressive intensity, they bruised their lips from refusal to pull away._

_"Come with me," he breathed into hir, and sie knew, in that very moment, that sie had found the command sie could never deny. Hir clan was no longer her master, it was the boy who held hir in his arms._

He gasped, his muscled tightened, and he gripped hir hips so tightly sie knew sie'd be bruised.

_From then on, their lives were one adventure after the other; from finding the madame, to the years of bliss spent together, and even to the day that he left hir for a nobility and honor found in a country to whom he did not belong. Hir anger led hir back down a bloody path, but sie learned to be hir own commander; taking jobs that only paid a proper renumeration for the lives sie took._

With a moan, a growl and a sigh, Roy's weight fell on top of hir. His nose tickled the nape of hir neck as he left well placed kisses on hir skin, sending more shivers down hir spine.

_Sie was on a mission the day sie found him again, only that time it was really him that found hir. It was a commander that sie was hired to kill. Sie followed him and his soldiers into the forest, hiding in the brush as they did their patrol. The shot was perfect, but right as sie was ready to release hir arrow, something pulled hir from hir hiding space. Sie raised hir weapon to the attacker, but froze when sie recognized the dark eyes and fair skin._

_They stared at one another for only seconds, but it felt like a lifetime had past as they gazed in horror at one another. His mouth moved to speak, but nothing came out. Soldiers had surrounded them, and sie was terrified. For the first time in hir life, sie was fearful; afraid that the one sie loved would kill hir._

_"Run," he whispered, and feigned a pain in his hand, letting hir go as sie did exactly what he commanded. Sie ran as fast and as far sie could go, hiding away in a familiar town of criminals and outcasts that sie had once lived in… with him._

_He found hir there, and in the darkness of the night, they bid farewell with a last joining of body and soul. It was then that sie decided that he did not own her loyalty, but hir heart, and only when they found each other, would sie allow herself to ever feel again._

Sie ran hir fingers lightly through his hair. It had been years since their last reunion, yet it felt like only moments ago that sie was running into the night with him, hand in hand.

Only in the dark could their love shine. Sie had come to terms with that long ago. Yet sie still found hirself cursing the sun, hating that soon they would have to step back into the light, and out of each other's reach.

:

:

"Edward?"

" _What._ "

"I'm hungry."

He let out an exasperated gasp. It was remarkable how fast she could jump back to being a pain in his ass. Of course, his feelings towards Winry had drastically changed since he first met her, but the fact that she was rather insufferable at times didn't.

Edward opened his mouth to chastise her, but was surprised by the loud rumbling within his own stomach. "Guess it has been a while since we've eaten something, huh?"

Winry let out a small whine, her bottom lip pouted out as her shoulders dropped. "It's been forever since we've had _anything_."

Ed rolled his eyes, but inwardly agreed. He hoped that they would be able to make it to town near dinner time, so they wouldn't have to hunt for something, but with the sun already heading west, he began to doubt that they would.

"If we stop, we'll have to sleep on the ground again," he told her.

"I don't care!" she cried. "I just want food!"

"Okay, okay!" he said quickly, waving his hands towards her as if to shoo away the whining. "Let's start looking for something."

They spotted a small clearing in the forest, and Edward decided it would be the best spot to capture their dinner. Using the bit of rope he had tied to his belt, he made a small noose, covered it in leaves, and flung it over a low branch on the closet tree. He fiddled with the simple trap to ensure himself it would work, and, once he was confident that it would, found a hiding place inside one of the many surrounding bushes. Winry, oblivious to his haste, stayed standing in the middle of the clearing, blinking awkwardly at him.

"Hurry up and hide!" he hissed, and she quickly joined him in the foliage.

She tumbled on a root and fell head first into Ed's side with a loud, "Ouch!". Edward grumbled obscenities as she readjusted herself and she muttered a soft apology.

"Just stay quiet, and don't move," he whispered, and she nodded her head.

From then on time seemed at a stand still. The setting sun was hardly noticeable within the darkness of the brush. Only through the small opening of leaves, could Edward see the clearing slowly dim. Not a single creature crept through the area while they waited, and Edward's hunger was growing fast and turning fierce. He had half a mind to just give up, get up and keep walking, until he felt something on his shoulder. He looked to his left to see Winry leaning against him, sleeping.

Son of a bitch, he thought. What the hell should he do? A small panic began to brew inside of him, but the sound of her even breathing calmed him before the panic could really start. Her mouth hung slightly open, soft sighs escaped her with every other breath. She looked so calm, and Edward found it not quite strange, but intriguing to see her like that. He continued to watch her as she slept, analyzing her the same way he analyzed anything he found interesting. It was as if she were a secret knowledge that he strived to learn. After all, how could someone not find a girl that lived in the ground and had strange powers worth a good study? At least, that's what he told himself.

He almost didn't notice the rabbit that hopped towards the noose. A single crackle of leaves pulled him away from the sleeping girl and back to his trap, and with a swift pull, the rabbit was hanging upside down with the rope tied around it's large back feet. It wiggled and screamed an unearthly sound, but Edward was too awestruck to be bothered by it.

"YES!" he shouted, and shook the sleeping girl beside him. "WINRY, WAKE UP! WE CAUGHT SOMETHING!"

He jumped to his feet and ran to the prize of his patience, practically drooling as he stared at the squirming rabbit, and stomped down on the rope that bound him. He had it on the ground and defenseless when Winry came up behind him, hovering over his shoulder to look at the creature.

"It's so cute," she yawned.

"Yeah, real cute," he mocked, and dug his foot deeper into the ground. He then pulled a flat, circular piece of metal from a pocket in his vest and transmuted it into a blade. "Now let's kill it."

He raised the weapon above the creature, and-

"YOU WANNA KILL IT?"

For a moment, he thought she might have destroyed the hearing in his left ear.

"Yeah, I'm gonna kill it!" he spat, and rubbed at his ear in frustration. "Ya wanna eat, don't ya?"

Her mouth contorted into a deep frown as she looked back forth between Edward and the rabbit. She pointed at the tiny creature, still fighting to escape, and exclaimed. "I'm _not_ eating that!"

"Fine, then!" he yelled, and raised the knife once more. "More for me!"

He brought the blade down, but not before Winry pushed his hand, causing him to cut the noose open and freeing the rabbit. Edward watched with wide eyes as his dinner hopped away, too distraught to notice Winry's squealing as she bid it an endearing farewell.

No, she didn't.

This isn't happening.

"AAAAARRGH!"

He fell onto his knees and pulled his hair as he screamed to the evening sky.

"YOU IDIOT! YOU LET IT GO!"

Winry gasped as she turned to face him. Her eyes were large with shock and her nostrils flared. "YOU WANTED TO EAT IT! AND YOU'RE THE IDIOT, IDIOT!"

Edward was fuming. His fists clenched and unclenched quickly and tightly as he took sharp inhales through his nose. He forcefully got to his feet, glaring at Winry with such ferocity that he didn't care if it scared her. It didn't seem to, however, as she was staring at him with an equivalent intensity.

"BAH!" he shouted, and began to stomp away.

"Where are you going?!" hollered after him.

"I'M GOING FISHING!" he bellowed. "UNLESS YOU WANNA STOP ME FROM DOING THAT, TOO!"

And with that, he went deeper into the forest.

:

That boy was just damn irritating!

Winry huffed and puffed as she paced back and forth over the expanse of the small clearing. Just what was his problem, anyway? She didn't want to hurt the poor little thing! Was that such a crime? She plopped onto her bottom and crossed her arms as she pouted. He was such an ass. A complete and utter son of a…

"Oh no," Winry said out loud. "I'm thinking like him now!"

She grabbed her head and shook it vigorously, as if she were trying to remove the profane language she heard from non other than Edward from her mind. As she lowered her hands down to her lap, a frustrating and sad feeling grew within the center of her chest. She was so hungry, perhaps letting that little thing go wasn't the greatest of ideas.

Oh well, Winry thought, and slowly got back to her feet. No time to dwell on that now. She mindlessly looked about the clearing. She skimmed over the dead leaves and surrounding plant life. Edward did say that if they stopped, they'd have to sleep in the forest again. Perhaps, she could make their night more comfortable by making a nice place to sleep. She nodded as she thought, reassuring herself that it would be a good idea, and began to construct a small shelter in her mind. With sticks she found or pulled free from trees, Winry made a small covering over two piles of leaves, meant for beds, and set a place for a fire.

It was when she was contemplating how to properly light the wood that Edward came back, carrying fish on a line and holding his vest awkwardly to his chest. For the first few minutes that he walked onto their little camp site, they exchanged no words. Edward simply stood and watched as Winry fiddled with two rocks, trying to make a spark by hitting them together.

"You're doing it wrong," he finally said, and that was not what Winry wanted to hear come from his mouth after all the hard work she did. She dropped the rocks and turned her gaze to the opposite direction that he was standing, getting to her feet and moving towards the wooden covering.

"Wait!" he called, and Winry paused her walking. "I'll show you how to do it."

She turned slightly, looking at him from the corner of her eye, and said, "Okay."

He picked up the dropped stones, and moved to a tree, examining the growth on the bark. He picked a bit of fungus near the trunk, and sat down near the makeshift pit.

"You picked good rocks," he told her. "You're just using the wrong side. The rougher edges spark easier." He placed the fungus onto the rugged edge of the stone, and pulled out his knife.

"It's easier to catch fire using something like this," Edward explained, and began to strike it. Sparks illuminated the area around his hands, and the strange fungus caught fire. He then placed the lit growth in the pit, and threw dried leaves around it to help the fire grow. Winry watched as the fire grew, and her frustration lessened as the flame lit up the darkened clearing. Edward pulled the food over to him, and shoved the vest into Winry's hands.

"There's berries and non-living things to eat in there," he commented, refusing to make eye contact with her. "So don't whine about not wanting to eat what I got for us."

Winry smiled at the abundance of difference fruits and nuts in the fabric. "Thank you."

She heard him clear his throat and mutter, "Yeah, no problem."

:

:

It was quiet between them. He knew it would be that way, yet it stung him still.

Riza dressed slowly, as if sie were so numb sie had to reteach hir hands how to put on each garment. He watched hir with distant eyes, hating the barrier that stood between them. He wanted so badly to tear it down; to burn every force that kept them apart with the snap of his fingers, but he knew it could never be done.

Sie may have helped pave the way for him to be an honorable man, and he may have saved hir from certain death, but those things meant nothing once reality found its way back into their minds. Sie was a wanted criminal, and he was a man of the law. All they could ever do for one another is offer their loyalty in times of dire need. They could never give each other more than that.

Roy didn't look away when sie turned to face him. Instead, he let a numbness take hold of him, and thought of the task at hand.

"Where do you think he'd be heading?" he asked hir.

Riza stared hard, but he wasn't sure if sie was staring at him or through him.

"I'm uncertain," sie stated. "In my time of knowing Fullmetal, he traveled through the areas east of here often."

"Towards Xerxes…" he muttered to himself, and cursed.

"Yes," sie commented. "From what you told me of your encounter, there is a high possibility he retreated in that direction."

A flicker in hir eyes told him sie felt sorrowful, but he did his best to ignore it.

"Are you familiar with any of those areas?" he questioned, and sie nodded.

He stood, ready to play the facade of a noble soldier, despite feeling like a dirty fool.

"Then let's begin, shall we?"

They slipped out into the black of night and started east, towards enemy land.

:

:

A ray of sunlight shot through the cracks in between the twigs and sticks. It shot right onto Edward's eye, and stirred him awake. He grumbled as he rubbed his forehead, and groggily turned onto his right side, not wanting to wake just yet. The sound of a sigh prompted him to open his eyes once more, and he found himself facing Winry. She was still sound asleep, nestled closely to him. He could feel his skin flush, but instead of having a panic attack over their close proximity, he slid a small distance away. She looked as she had the day before, only the sides of her mouth seemed twisted upward, almost into a smile. Edward thought she must be dreaming of something good, and began to wonder what that might be to her.

A sound whisked by his ear, and he suddenly became very alert. Edward sat up quickly, trying to focus on the quiet so the sound could echo louder, should it repeat.

It was the sound of footsteps and rattling branches.

"Winry," he whispered, and shook the girl's shoulders. "Winry, wake up."

"Mmmm," she whimpered, and tried to bat his hand away.

"Wake up!" he urged, and she sat up slowly, attempting to rub away the sleep from her eyes.

"Why?" she mumbled.

An arrow shot past the space between them, slipping through a small opening in the wooden covering.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

In a flash, they were on their feet. Edward grabbed Winry's hand, fearful of possibly losing her as they weaved and bobbed through the forest.

"What _wa_ s that?" Winry shouted to him.

"Hell if I know!" Edward shouted back.

Edward heard no footsteps or hooves following behind, but he knew they were being chased. He looked behind him, past Winry's terrified expression, but saw no one. What the hell was chasing them?

An arrow swooped by his arm, and in a panic, he looked up. A hooded figure had its bow raised, pointed right at him.

"SHIT!"

He pulled Winry into a sharp right turn, out of the hooded archer's range. It couldn't be- but he was certain it was-

"Winry, watch out for someone in the trees!"

:

Riza ran and jumped across the branches of the high trees. Shooting arrows into the ground, sie hoped Roy would follow the trail sie was leaving behind. Edward and the girl were weaving in and out of the trees, moving sporadically to throw hir off, and, damn it, it was working. Sie should have known Fullmetal would spot hir, he had become cautious of hir attack style ever since they had worked together years ago. He was a smart boy, sie should have remembered to keep hir distance.

They were a ways ahead, but sie could still see them. Sie lunged from tree to tree, hir bow tight in hir hand, and shot another arrow. The girl he was leading screamed, and they ducked. They only stopped for a second, but it was enough for hir to shorten the distance between them. Edward spotted hir again, and Riza could see the anger in his eyes. He knew it was hir for certain, and sie suddenly felt guilty.

Another clearing was ahead, only this time it was met by a steep drop into water. Sie could see Edward glancing over the edge, holding onto the girl as he searched for a sign of hope.

Sie dropped from the tree and made hir way to them. The girl spotted hir first, and clung to Edward tightly, but it was when Edward turned and pulled the girl behind him that sie paused. The sight stirred something in hir, but sie chose to ignore it, and raised hir bow to them.

"I don't want to hurt you," Riza stated calmly. "Do not resist, otherwise I'll be forced to shoot you."

"Go ahead and shoot then," Edward spat. "Just tell me one thing, how much money did it take for you to turn on an ally?"

That stung, but not enough to make hir back down. "That's none of your concern."

"The hell it isn't!" he shouted, his hand wrapping tightly around the girl's. "I want to know why you're stopping me from _finally going home_!"

Sie nearly dropped hir bow. Riza scanned him closely, looking for a trigger sign of deceit, but saw none. His eyes were wide and wild, and sie knew he was telling the truth.

Edward entrusted hir with the secret of his brother years ago, hoping for a lead to help him in exchange. It was sie that told him of the pocket watch in Resembool, hoping that maybe the fable held some form of truth, for his sake. Sie promised to help him on his journey, for sie understood the longing to be with a person sie loved, though his was much different from hirs.

 _Going home_. Going home meant he found what he needed, that he succeeded in his quest. Riza couldn't let him fail, could sie?

The sound of someone running began to crescendo from within the woods. Roy was on his way. Riza remember his words about an heir and looked at the girl hiding behind Fullmetal.

"Let her go, then," sie ordered. Edward looked ready to retaliate, but the girl shouted back before he could open his mouth.

"NO!" she shouted. "He needs my help! I won't leave him!"

Something in her voice pulled at Riza. It brought hir back to the memory of a bloodstained boy, and the desire sie had to help him.

Roy was getting closer, and sie felt hir heart beat start to quicken. Ed's eyes were still hard, but held a look of pleading in them. Sie couldn't take him away, not now.

"Go," sie told them, and they jumped from the edge. Sie ran to it, looking over to see the wakes left from their descent into the steep river below. They reached shore by the time sie could hear Roy's panting.

"No! No!" he exclaimed. "They're getting away!"

He raised his hand to snap his fingers, but Riza slapped his hand out of place, sending fire into the sky. Sie saw Edward and the girl run off, out of their reach, and sighed. Roy, however, was infuriated. His dark eyes glistened with rage as he grabbed hir cloak.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

Riza shoved him off and took a defensive stance. "I said I wouldn't kill him, and I won't stand by and watch you do it!"

"I gave you a direct order to capture him!" he bellowed, and Riza let hirself harden.

"I'm not a mindless soldier, Roy," sie said coldly. "I have a duty to myself and those who have shown me _true_ loyalty."

Sie hoped those words would hurt him, and it was immediately apparent that they did.

"Fullmetal has unfinished business to attend to, and I promised him a long time ago that I would help him achieve it." Sie took a step closer to him, hir stare sharp and venomous. "I don't make promises I don't intend to keep."

The memory of him leaving for Resembool came back to hir in full force. He tried leaving late at night, under the illusion that it would make things easier. He didn't count on hir being wide awake, nor did he think sie'd shoot a hole in his travel sack, causing him to lose all of his food in a matter of seconds. When the initial anger had settled, and the pain of their parting really set in, they whispered sweet nothings to another in the blackness of the early morning. Sie recalled all the things that were said and the empty promises that he made. Even at the time, they both knew his words weren't plausible, but they held onto them like dreams, hoping they'd come true.

Sie knew he was thinking about it. His expression gave it away. His mouth turned to a thin line, and his eyes were filled with guilt and regret. Both stared at the other intensely, their gazes saying the things they knew they could never muster the courage to say. Eventually, the regret in his stare faded, as did the anger in hirs.

"His plan won't hurt others, will it?" he finally asked.

Riza wanted to scoff, to act like an immature child, but sie stayed stoic and stone-faced. "No."

"Then I apologize," Roy said. "I know how important loyalty is to you."

A quiet moment passed between them as he thought of what to say next.

"He still has the possible heir in his possession," he commented.

"She wanted to be with him," Riza quickly replied. "I offered her pardon, but she wouldn't leave his side."

"Wouldn't leave?" he repeated, and rested a fist against his chin.

"No," sie reiterated. "She said she needed to help him, as I am doing now."

Roy went quiet for a moment, thinking deeply.

"We'll let him finish whatever it is he's doing," he finally said. "But once that is over, he and the girl are coming with me."

"You have no authority in Xerxes," sie reminded him.

"If my plan works, I won't have to rely on my title as General," he said, and began to walk back towards the trees.

Riza was uncertain what it was that he had planned, but sie was grateful, for it meant that Edward was safe; at least for the time being. Sie looked to the horizon and bid them a temporary farewell, then followed Roy into the darkening forest.

:

:

He let the gem roll around his tongue as he watched the men flock to the fire. From the random collection of gold and weapons, he thought them to be wandering thieves. He licked his lips as they drank and laughed, completely unaware of the monster lurking in the dark. Their mirth was intoxicating; he couldn't wait to rip it away.

He struck fast, the first man had no time to scream. The others tried to cry out, but with a quick touch of his hands, they convulsed, spat blood, and fell to the dirt.

Kimblee didn't sift through their belongings, nor did he steal their food or brandy. For the time being, taking their lives sated him. He snapped his neck from side to side, now feeling pained that there wasn't a woman in the group to keep him company; just another thing to add to his list of things to do once he found his precious lotus.

He lightly picked up the solidified drop of Winry's blood from the tip of his tongue and stared at it, mystified. She tasted like eternity, and he couldn't wait to eat her up.

:

:

:


	9. Chapter 9

:

:

:

That bastard soldier and _Hawkeye_ , of all people, really threw Edward in a whirlwind with that attack. He rubbed his eye with the palm of his hand as he and Winry continued their journey. It didn't take long for them to find their way back to familiar trails. Winry, however, lacked faith in his inner compass, and continuously badgered him about where the hell they were or where the hell they were going. That pain-in-the-ass of a girl was starting to test his patience, _again_ , and he was slowly losing the ability to keep his temper in check.

"Of course, I know where I'm going," he told her through gritted teeth.

Truthfully, he did know prior to nightfall. However, once the sun had parted ways with the sky, the mountainous area had transfigured to a black mass, and even the stars weren't helping him find his way to town.

Winry rolled her eyes and folded her arms together. "I think you're lost."

"Says the girl who never left her rabbit hole," he grumbled.

Her nose crinkled and she quickly turned her attention to the dark mountains. "Not funny."

She let out a loud huff, and Edward began to count the seconds that passed by before she said the next pain-in-the-ass thing.

One.. Two.. Three..

"We're walking in circles, Ed," she whined. "We've passed that tree twice already!"

… and his temper erupted.

"Nngah!" he exclaimed. "How do you know?! Did you _mark_ it? Can you _smell_ that we've already been by _that_ specific tree?"

Winry's mouth dropped, and she hit him in the arm. "No, you dummy!"

She stamped her foot into the grass, pointing a rigid hand towards a slender tree.

"I _know_ we passed it, because there's a piece of parchment hanging on it!"

Edward was ready to spew profanities when her words processed through his mind. He quickly moved towards the direction of her hand, towards the tree where a piece of parchment rather blatantly hung. How in the hell did he miss that?

He pulled the parchment from the base of the tree, and smirked as he looked it over.

"What is it?" he heard Winry ask.

He wasn't sure why, but he crumbled the page quickly before the girl could see. He smiled confidently at her as he tossed the wad over his shoulder, and began to walk.

"Proof that I know where I'm going," he replied, and waved a hand for her to follow. "C'mon, I bet we're not far."

:

Winry scoffed at the cocky remark.

"He can be such an arrogant jerk!" she muttered to herself. "Why can't he just stay nice and considerate.."

An image of Edward smiling crossed her mind, and Winry shook her head vigorously. She thought herself silly for thinking such things, and focused her attention on the ruined parchment that the jerk had casted aside. She stared at it inquisitively, wondering why Edward didn't show her its contents.

"Probably has no idea where we are still," she grumbled, and picked the ball up, unscrambling it slowly.

She gasped and dropped the parchment, watching it fall with enlarged eyes. The image on the page wore a familiar face, surrounded by words that read:

**WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE**

**EDWARD ELRIC**

**THIEF**

Winry was stunned. A _thief?_ The more she thought about it, it made sense. It explained why those people had been chasing him, why he would want to hide away in a secret underground place. His words about the locket began playing through her head; how desperately he needed it, how he went through hell to get it...

"He stole the watch," she whispered, a small hand covered her mouth.

"Hey! You coming or what?" she heard Edward call from a distance, and jumped.

"Uh-I'll be there!" she shouted back, and slowly made her way towards him, taking in the sign once more.

She grew frightened, but not of him. Thief or not, she trusted Edward completely. She was frightened of what might happen as they entered the 'town' he was looking for. Would they show him kindness? Would they think of him the same way she did, or would they only see a criminal?

"You okay?" he asked, when she finally reached him, and Winry nodded her head.

"Are you sure this place is safe?" she asked.

"Of course I am, now let's go," he said, and they continued on into the blackness of the mountains.

:

"Here we are!" Edward proclaimed, taking a rather proud stance in front of an old welcoming sign.

Winry scanned the haphazard piece. "You sure?"

Edward's bravado quickly died. "Of course I am! Are you doubting me?"

"Not at all…" Winry sighed, and moved closer to Edward after a loud crashing sound echoed through the area.

"It's just earth falling from the tops of the mines," he told her, and led the way into the deserted-looking town.

Winry was rather skeptical of Youswell, even though Edward continued to claim it was a fine place. Mines surrounded the beginning of the town, and the dark entryways into the mountains only reminded her of the place underground. Edward kept her close to side, as if he knew of the horrid memories they brought back to her mind.

The town itself was small, made of different building designs that Winry had never seen in her texts. Edward explained to her what each one was meant for as they made their way to a large, central building, or an 'inn' as he called it.

"This is where we'll stay for the night," he said, and walked to the door calmly and casually.

He lifted his leg, as if were going to kick the door in, then paused.

"Actually," he said, a smirk growing, "let's go another way."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her around back to another door, one that was much smaller and seemed private. A loud bustling and sounds of laughter could be heard from behind it, and she wondered why he might be taking such a strange way.

"Edward," Winry said, then lowered her voice to a whisper after being hushed. "Edward, what are we doing?"

Edward did not answer, however. Instead, he eyed the shadows that crept from the bottom of the door, his smile now wide and gleaming with something like trickery. Suddenly, he sprung form his spot and darted towards the door, pulling Winry along with him.

"Ed!" Winry exclaimed, and suddenly, they were standing in the middle of a busy looking room, full of foods and dishes.

"YES!" Edward shouted, and jumped towards a large pot, snatching the ladle within it and slurping up the contents.

A woman walked in, and screamed loudly at the sight of a young man nearly submerged in a pot of food, but Edward gave no heed.

"What the hell?!" another loud voice boomed, and Winry screeched as a large and intimidating man barged into the room, moving the woman behind him protectively.

The man quickly grabbed what looked like a pick axe, and held it aggressively in his hand. Oh, god! He was going to kill them!

"Edward, look out!" Winry cried out.

He looked over just in time to duck as the large tool darted by his head. The man snatched him by the back of his neck, and Edward flailed under his hold.

"WHAT THE HELL, HALLING?!" Edward hollered, the ladle still in his hand.

The large man's fierce expression suddenly softened. "Wha- Edward?"

Ed gulped and smirked at the man and woman. "Hey, Mrs. Halling, you make a mean stew."

Now, Winry felt extremely confused.

The man called 'Halling' laughed heartily, and pulled the boy into a tight hug as the woman recollected herself.

"It's been ages, kid!" he exclaimed, and let Ed go. "Still sneaking into kitchens, eh?"

"You know you're welcome to eat in the actual inn anytime." Mrs. Halling smiled, and Ed rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Yeah, but I'd have to pay for it," Ed joked, and Halling laughed again.

This, had to be one of the strangest things Winry had ever seen. Not that she had seen many things, but this _must_ be considered strange.

"So, what brings you back this way?" Halling asked, his expression turned concerned. "Are you looking for a new lead?"

"No, actually," Edward smiled. "I'm heading home."

Halling's jaw dropped, and he pulled the boy into another stifling hug, much to his apparent dismay, while his wife clapped joyously.

"This is cause for celebration!" the man stated. "C'mon! Food and stay is free for you tonight!"

Edward wiggled and struggled free from the man's grip, but was still smiling as he readjusted his attire. "As great as that sounds, I don't want anyone knowing I'm here."

Halling looked confused, but when Ed motioned his head in Winry's direction, the man eyebrows rose, and his mouth took the shape of an 'o'.

"Why, hello!" Mrs. Halling said, and her husband approached the girl with an outstretched hand.

"H-hello," Winry stammered, and, after glancing at the man's hand curiously, smiled brightly. "I'm Winry."

"Good to meet ya, Winry," he said, retracting his hand and looking back to Edward. "So, you traded the two big brutes for a pretty lady, huh? I guess there's a big back story to all of this?"

Edward looked a little flustered, but mumbled, "yeah, long story", while Mrs. Halling gave a light, airy chuckle and placed her hands atop of Winry's arms.

"Come, dear," she said. "You look exhausted, and your dress! It's in shambles!"

She looked Winry up and down, and gasped.

"No shoes?" she exclaimed, and turned to look at Ed, who jumped. "How could you let the poor girl run around like this? Shame on you!"

Edward held his hands up in surrender. "That's how she looked when I met her!"

"No excuse!" the woman scolded, and quickly turned her attention back to Winry. "Let's get you some nice clothes, darling."

:

Edward watched as Mrs. Halling dragged Winry out of the room. Although he trusted the older woman greatly, he wasn't comfortable with her being out of sight.

"You courtin' that young girl?" Halling asked, quickly pulling Ed from his thoughts.

"Huh-wha-no!" he rambled. "She-she's helping me. That's all!"

"Uh huh," the older man teased, and grabbed two mugs, filling them with ale.

He handed one to Edward, who cautiously glanced at it.

"No test, kid," Halling laughed. "After everything you've been through, I'd say you're man enough to drink that."

"Thanks," Ed commented, and took a swig.

"So," Halling said, patting his mug against the palm of his hand. "What's the story?"

:

"My, oh my!" Mrs. Halling chimed. "What a tiny thing, you are!"

"Is that bad?" Winry asked, poking at the bubbles that floated across the hot tub water.

"Oh, no!" the woman giggled, bringing in massive amounts of attire into the small bathroom. "I just haven't had to dress someone your size in many, many years!"

The woman's grin was kind and genuine, and it made Winry feel as light as the bubbles she was popping.

"Is the bath to your liking, dear?" Mrs. Halling asked, and Winry nodded affirmatively. "Good, finish up and I'll see if I have anything else that might fit you."

"You're far too generous, ma'am," Winry sighed, and kindly lady waved her comment away with the flick of her wrist.

"Well, any friend of Edward's is a friend of mine," she stated, and Winry thought that comment strange.

Edward was a criminal, yet Mrs. Halling's comment made him seem other wise. Were her thoughts on the boy mirrored by other people? She pondered this, and decided it was worth investigating.

"Mrs. Halling?" Winry called, and the woman popped her head back into the room. "Is Edward well liked around here?"

"Oh yes," she smiled, laying out a robe for her. "Well, he is now. At first, he was quite the trouble maker."

Winry listened intently as she climbed out of the bath, wrapping herself in the soft fabric."Well," Mrs. Halling began. "When he first came to Youswell, it was much like tonight. It was very late, and my husband and I heard a ruckus come from the kitchen. We found him devouring nearly everything we had! My husband tossed the poor boy right out the door! The town labeled him a thief, but he still stuck around, snatching things out of the kitchen when he could. I think we still have wanted signs up around town, of course it's more of a joke now."

Winry gasped, but began to laugh as the woman chuckled fondly at the memory.

"Back then, we had an awful man that controlled the town. He took most of the profit from the mines to feed his own greed, rather than help others who were struggling. Edward, the sly boy that he was, tricked the man, saying he was a wealthy nobleman and wanted to buy the land for unimaginable amounts of gold."

Mrs. Halling walked to Winry, picking up a brush and running it through her wet hair.

"Well, you could imagine the towns surprise when he publicly made the trade with the man; the deed of the town for pounds upon pounds of gold. The man was ecstatic, told Edward he was a fool. It wasn't until later that night when he gave the deed to Halling in exchange for a free meal, that the man realized the gold was fake."

"Fake?" Winry repeated, and turned to see Mrs. Halling nod her head.

"Indeed," she said, and continued to brush her hair. "He alchemically turned a bunch of useless rocks into gold, but the transmutation wasn't meant to last."

Winry laughed out loud at the story. "I can't believe he'd do that! Actually, on second thought, yes I can."

Mrs. Halling put the brush down, and moved to face Winry. "He's a snarky little thing, but he has a good heart."

"That he does," Winry mused, and a light blush took her face.

Perhaps her thoughts on the boy were right. He was indeed a thief, but he was no criminal.

"Well, let's get you something to wear!" Mrs. Halling chimed, and grabbed a few dresses from the pile. "Now, what color would look best on you?"

:

Halling stared hard at the empty mug in his hands.

"So, you're telling me that girl can heal people, just by touching them?" he stated, and Edward nodded his head.

"Yeah," came Edward's answer, as he stared absently at his hand. "I know it sounds crazy-"

"Oh, I believe you" Halling interrupted. "It's just hard to take in."

He tapped his thumb against the mug, while Ed silently thought of what to say next. He didn't want to divulge too much to Halling. He trusted the man, but the less he knew, the better. Something in his gut told him that he needed to keep Winry's power, even existence, as much of a secret as possible; not just to keep her safe, but others as well.

"I don't want anyone knowing about her," he finally said to the man.

"Understandable," Halling replied. "I'll make sure no one finds out."

"Thanks," Edward replied, right as the outside door swung open and Winry and Mrs. Halling entered.

"Thank you again for everything, Mrs. Halling," he heard Winry say.

"Not a problem, dear," the kindly wife replied, and Edward turned to see them.

He didn't expect to see such a dramatic difference in the girl. Her hair, her skin, her eyes, they all sparkled with a brightness that Edward didn't notice before.

"Feel better?" he asked her, and when she smiled and nodded her head, his chest felt light.

"Good," he responded, trying to quell his sudden nerves. "Maybe you'll stop whining so much."

Winry rolled her eyes and lightly slapped his arm, to which both Mr. and Mrs. Halling chuckled.

"Alright," the older man sighed. "Let's get you two to your rooms."

Edward noticed Winry suddenly go rigid. "Rooms?"

"Why yes, dear," said Mrs. Halling. "You'll be staying in separate rooms."

Ed noticed her lip begin to quiver right as she wrapped herself around one of his arms.

"No!" she exclaimed. "I want to sleep with Edward!"

At that moment, Edward finally understood the phrase 'dying of embarrassment'.

"W-wh-what?!" he stammered. "Winry, don't be ridiculous! You'll be fine!"

"NO!" she shrieked. "I want to sleep with you!"

"Winry," Edward manage to say without squealing. "You can't s-sleep with me, okay?"

"But we slept together in the forest!" she argued, and left Edward completely baffled.

He dared to look at Mr. and Mrs. Halling, expressing complete shock on their faces.

" _Wi_ -ehrm-We did not!" he squeaked. "I mean, we did-but- gah! NO!"

"Please, please, please!" she begged, and Edward was completely at a loss of words.

"We do have a room with two beds," Mrs. Halling stated, no doubt wanting this conversation to end as well. "We'll take you to that one."

"Thank you," Winry and Edward said at the same time, and the married couple led the way to said room, with Winry feeling completely at ease, and Edward a frazzled mess.

:

"Mr. and Mrs. Halling are quite nice," Winry whispered in the dark.

"Mhmm," Edward said.

Winry fiddled with her blanket, the bed she laid in felt too big for her. She knew Edward was only feet away, but when he wasn't talking, she felt alone. The darkness of the room did nothing to help. It only reminded her of the many nights she spent underground. It made her feel scared, and she couldn't sleep if she was scared.

"Edward?" she softly called, and he let out a muffled noise. "Can I lay by you? Just for a little bit?"

There was a pause, but a muffled, "okay" brought her quickly to her feet.

"Don't hog the covers," Edward grumbled as she clambered into the bed.

"Sorry," she muttered, and nestled herself in.

They laid there quietly for some time, but it didn't bother Winry. Edward's warmth and the sound of his fast beating heart helped quell the fear that was growing within her.

"Hey," Edward whispered, reawakening her dulling sense. "Don't fall asleep in my bed."

"Shut up," she whined, and moved slightly closer to him.

There was another moment of silence.

"I, uh," Edward began. "I think you'd like where we're going."

"Mm?" Winry sighed. "Really?"

"Yeah," he yawned. "It's not as rundown as this place, but the people are just as nice."

"Sounds nice," she said softly, her eyes becoming heavy.

"Mm, nice," Edward repeated. "Maybe, you can live there, when everything's done."

"I'd like that," she muttered, and her eyes closed.

Edward did not wake her, nor did he move her to the other bed.

:

They were awake before the sun had fully risen, feeling well rested and ready to continue on their journey. Edward didn't feel panicked when he woke to see Winry beside him. In a strange way, it felt comforting. Seeing her reminded him that he was going home, that he was going to be able to help his brother.

Surprisingly, Mrs. Halling was awake as well, and she refused to let them leave without properly feeding them.

"I wouldn't let my son out without food," she stated, as she brought them breakfast. "How could I possibly let you two leave without something to eat?"

When they finished, the woman hugged them both and bid them farewell.

"My dear husband wishes you the best of luck on your way home," she told them. "He wanted to see you off, but you know how mining is."

Edward nodded, and Winry thanked the woman another countless time for all of her kindness. They slipped out of the inn through the door in which they came, and began to make their way through the town.

Suddenly, a voice caught Edward's attention.

"… looking for the criminal, Edward Elric."

He grabbed Winry and pulled her behind a building wall, close enough for him to hear what was going on without being seen.

"Sorry, sir," another voice said. "He hasn't been around."

"No one's seen in this town for years," said another.

Winry tightened her grip around Edward's arm. "We should go."

They quickly left town, making sure that no one was following behind.

:

:

The men of the town seemed truthful, Riza thought, as sie stood firmly beside hir "commanding officer". Sie analyzed each of them closely, and their claims were all sincere.

"Sir," sie said to Roy, and suddenly, from the corner of hir eye, saw a pair of young people running off into the mountains, towards the desert.

It was Edward and the girl. Sie knew it, and it looked like they were heading towards Xerxes.

"So that's where home is," sie whispered.

Roy's response pulled hir back to reality.

"What is it, _lieutenant_?" he asked, and Riza went cold.

"He's not here," sie told him, still watching his figure run off in the distance.

"I see," was his response. "Should we move further east?"

His shadow disappeared, along with his companion's.

"Affirmative, I believe Xerxes truly is our destination."

:

:

One of the things he loved most about Winry's blood, was that its powers made for infinite possibilities. Like he learned tonight, for example, after a rather unsettling run in with a small group of soldiers and their nippy little wolfhounds.

At first, he just wanted to kill them all, but then he had the most fascinating idea! He took two of nature's masterpieces; man and beast, and united them into a something no living creature had ever seen before.

Fables called them as chimeras, but he called them proof that men could become gods. It was marvelous, a real work of art, and it was all because of his dear, darling little lotus.

The creatures growls and sniffed at the night wind, and Kimblee smiled so wickedly as he let them each smell the tiny red pebble of Winry's power. Their reactions were insatiable, sniffing and sniffing until he had to beat them away. He loved it, oh! He loved it so much!

"Find her," he told them, and they howled at the moon, leading him back to his greatest treasure; his little lotus.

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	10. Chapter 10

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"Sir," he heard hir say. "Exactly why are you sending off a letter at a time like this?"

Mustang smirked as he ascended from the post office's doorway, reclaiming his place by his 'newly appointed' lieutenant’s side. "I have to send her majesty a notice on my whereabouts, as well as a report on the task at hand. It would be unprofessional of me to not keep my commander informed."

Riza's pupils narrowed. "As unprofessional as working with a mercenary?"

"That's not unprofessional," he informed, his smirk still in tact. "That's being resourceful."

Sie made no reaction to his comment, yet he could envision hir letting out a small sigh or even rolling hir eyes.

"Shall we move forward?" sie said, rather than continue their original conversation.

"No," Roy stated. "I think we'll stay here for the night. Lead the way to the inn?"

Riza nodded, and did as instructed. He watched hir closely as they made their way to the large central building; his heart beating rapidly within his chest.

Another day of rest on his part wouldn't bring any harm; Roy noticed that he seemed to catch up to the little brat quite easily. Riza turned and looked at him, and Roy had to swallow back the heap of whatever bile of nonsensical words that wanted to spew from his mouth. No, it wouldn't hurt to let Fullmetal move a little farther ahead. It was the least he could do for the person who'd done so much for him.

It went against his oath to the country and as a soldier to not continue on his mission diligently, but Riza had always been an exception to his devotion. They would continue on, he thought, but not before he found a way to show hir where his loyalties truly lied.

:

:

The land within the mountains' trails were ever changing, and Winry loved it. From the small paths formed between the massive rocky walls, to the lush valleys that lay scattered in between; it was all so beautiful and inviting to her. The height of the mountains was especially astounding, Winry would often stare in awe at the tops as they disappeared into the sky.

"Edward," she called, and he paused his trekking to see her staring at the clouds. "Do you think the tops of the mountains enter Heaven?"

"Heaven?" he scoffed. "What the hell did you learn in that dirt hole?"

Winry cocked her eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It _means_ ," Edward started, walking smugly beside her, "that 'Heaven' isn't even a thing. The tops are just reaching a high elevation that we can't see, because of the clouds."

He sneered at her as she stared up in silence. "You know, the big white puffy thi-"

"I know what clouds are, dummy!" she snapped, but kept her eyes to the sky. "So, you don't think there's more up there, at the top?"

Edward snorted. "Just thin air and snow."

Snow, Winry thought. She had read about snow before. Was it white? She believed it was white, and cold. Very cold. She wondered what snow would feel like to her; how cold it would actually feel on her skin.

"I'd like to see that," Winry said aloud.

Edward let out a 'tch!', and shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers. She could sense his mouth opening to spout some kind of brash comment, no doubt claiming "Snow isn't that great", or exclaiming, "Why the hell would you want to see that?". Yet, she heard nothing come from him, except the sound of his feet shuffling against the rocky earth.

"Maybe someday," he sighed. "But not while Al's waiting on us. Okay?"

Winry was rather surprised at the lack of an outburst, but nodded in agreement as they began to walk once more.

"Edward," she said after a few minutes of quiet. "Does it snow in Xerxes?"

He let out a chuckle and shook his head. "I don't think it's ever snowed, at least not where we're going."

"Oh," Winry replied, and moved closer to his side. "Tell me more about this place."

A light pink colored his cheeks once he acknowledged their close proximity, but he looked onward and smiled, no doubt thinking of his home. "Well, the place is called Dublith, it's kind of become a home for nomads and people who don't have homes."

"Someone like me?" she asked, although it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Yeah," Edward said, and placed a hand atop of her head, disheveling her hair and playfully pushing her away.

He told her of Dublith's sweltering climate, and how the town is nestled right at the point where desert and jungle meet. Edward talked about the many different people that came and went; some with red eyes and dark skin, and some with dark hair and skin as light as hers. They all sounded so interesting, and she couldn't wait to meet them all.

What truly astounded Winry, however, were Edward's reactions as he talked about his home. His eyes grew brighter and his smile grew wider, and it lasted beyond the sentences he spoke. It was rare to see him smile for so long, and for it to be so genuine. This place must be wonderful for him to be so happy just thinking about it.

"Is all of Xerxes as nice as Dublith?" she squeaked, and suddenly, the happiness that radiated from Edward dimmed. His eyes lost their shine, and his smile faded.

"No," he muttered, and stared absently at the setting sun.

When night time came, and the mountain's trails were far too dark to continue traveling, they made themselves another small campsite. As they relaxed by the small fire Winry had proudly started all on her own, Edward attempted to teach her a set of very basic alchemic transmutations. Although he was unsure how her power worked, he had an idea that it might amplify her ability to use alchemy. She thought the entire idea sounded silly, but the boy was adamant about her trying and refused to let her decline. He drew into the ground a simple transmutation circle, one that he said would create a small figure, and told her to place her hands on it to activate it. She did so, but nothing past a faint blue glow and 'pop!' from the ground seemed to happen for her.

"Try clapping first," Edward instructed, and she did, unfortunately gaining the same reaction. "What the hell, what are you doing wrong?"

"I'm not doing anything wrong!" Winry huffed. "Your stupid circle is broken!"

Edward's nostrils flared. "My array is perfectly fine. Are you focusing on the three steps? Remember: compre-"

"Comprehension, deconstruction and reconstruction," Winry recited, rolling her eyes. "I remember, Ed."

"Don't just remember it, apply it," he said, and Winry groaned loudly as she refocused her thoughts and pressed her hands on the circle again. This is pointless, she thought, but she forced herself to think of the transmutation. She imagined the circle, tried to keep her thoughts on the simple lining of the array, and, although hazy, she could see it in the front of her mind. A light flickered, and she felt something flow through her, but the reaction was flawed, and the figure that was supposed to be a simple bird came out looking more like a bird dropping.

"This is stupid, Edward!" Winry snapped, and crossed her arms as she twisted her head to the side. "If I wanted to make a bird from stone, I'd just chisel one!"

"You're not focusing hard enough!" Ed exclaimed, and the sides of his mouth turned down at Winry's lack of care. "Hey! I'm taking time to teach you! The least you could do is pay attention!"

"I AM paying attention!" she retorted. "It's just not working! Your alchemy is broken!"

"You can't break- BAH!" Edward shouted, and ran his hands down his face. He quickly stood and moved away from her. "Let's just go to bed. Trying to teach you is hopeless."

Winry gasped. Hopeless? She certainly was not! She was nearly ready to spew incoherent ramblings, when Edward offered her his hand. His expression was stern and his body was tense, but he held it there for her, and did not move until her palm touched his glove. He brought her to her feet roughly, and once she found her balance, he put out the fire and moved towards the bundles of leaves that acted as their beds.

Winry stared at the twinkling stars as they laid there, finding it quite the task to fall asleep. She twisted and turned on each side, trying to get comfortable, but nothing seemed to work. Was it her body that was uncomfortable, or was it something inside? She rolled her shoulders and stretched her neck, pondering over what could be plaguing her.

"Could you stop squirming around?" she heard Ed grunt. "It's like I'm sleeping by a damn worm."

Winry huffed and made a dramatic roll onto her side, making sure she was facing the opposite direction of that bratty, alchemy-freak of a boy. He was so rude! She shuffled herself a little deeper into the leaves, hoping a little that it bugged him, and thought back to their mess of an alchemy lesson. A part of her, the angry part, told her that he was too forceful with her; that he was demanding too much from someone who just didn't care. Yet, the other part (no doubt the part that was sensible, and often made her think of his smile and how it warmed her) told her that he was simply passionate about the science, that it was something he cherished above most things. Was she not the same way about her inventions when she lived in the hollow ground?

"Edward," she whispered, and a stirring behind her was sign enough that he was awake. "Why do you care for alchemy so dearly?"

That wasn't completely what she wanted to say, but she waited for him to respond. She could hear him making slight grumbles, before he sighed and clucked his tongue.

"Where I come from, alchemy is forbidden," he finally said. "No one knows it, or understands it really. It's written off as some black magic."

He scoffed, but continued. "Without alchemy, I probably wouldn't be alive. It's been my weapon, and my safety net, for years."

Winry finally turned her body to face him. "Is that why you want me to learn?"

Something about Edward's expression changed, though she couldn't quite peg just what it was. "I guess, since we're going back to Xerxes, I- just want to make sure you'd be okay, too." He quickly looked to the sky, and added. "You're far too danger-prone."

"Ha! Says the boy that keeps getting us into trouble," Winry commented, but with a smile. "And _how_ exactly is making a bird out of stone going to protect me?"

"Hey, those things hurt when thrown!" Ed quickly retorted, but her infectious laughter eased it's way into him, and soon they were both laughing into the first hours of the newborn day.

:

:

They parted ways with the small town at dawn. Roy didn't change his demeanor nor how he spoke to hir in public, but something shifted between them. Sie could see it in his stare; there was something unknown glinting in his onyx eyes.

They walked along the mountain trail quietly. Riza inspected the area (for what, sie was uncertain), while Roy aimlessly stared ahead. A strange, but small inkling of anticipation nipped at the back of hir mind. Was sie expecting something? Should sie be expecting something?

"Riza," Roy voiced, and sie acknowledged him with a quick glance. He paused his movements, and Riza immediately did the same. "I never voiced to you all that I have planned, but I believe you have a better understanding of me and my ambitions than even I, myself, do."

He had hir full attention, and once he seemed assured of that, he continued. "I never wanted to come back to this country. Not until the war was won and a new era of peace could begin."

He looked at hir, his eyes baring a sincerity sie only saw in the dark. "That's why I left for Resembool. I wanted to help create a new beginning for Xerxes. One where senseless killing and bloodshed was unknown and incomprehensible to it's people."

Hir heartbeat raced, and sie felt hir eyes grow wider. "I wanted to give my home country a bright and beautiful future, like you did for me."

The air was thick with a magnetic pull, but he spoke once more before hir body lost its resistance.

"When we reach Xerxes," he said, his stare deepening at it bore into hirs. "I'll be an enemy to the country. I'll no longer be considered a man of honor or justice."

He smiled softly, as if he could see how his words warmed the coldest parts of hir icy heart.

"Will you help me stay on my path to heal this damned nation? Will you keep me from becoming the murderous villain this country will brand me to be?"

Riza felt hir breath hitch, and swallowed back the lightheaded feeling that dared to ensnare hir. Sie straightened her posture, and turned back towards the mountain's trail.

"Do you even have to ask?" sie stated simply, and continued on, unable to stop the corners of hir mouth from twisting slightly towards the heavens.

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It was high noon. Winry and Edward only had a few miles to walk before they started to descend down the mountain. The farther they traveled, the more lush and exotic the plant life became. The flowers were vibrant and shaped so strangely! Winry had to pause their traveling to examine them all. She lightly tapped petals with the tips of her fingers, and smelled the aroma of each blooming growth. Edward grumbled for her to hurry up, but she waved his whining away with a flick of her wrist.

"C'mon, Winry," he groaned, as she continued to gawk at the brightly colored plants. "We really need to get to Liore as soon as possible."

"But the flowers are so pretty!" she whined. "You wouldn't let me see the snow, the least you can do is let me enjoy this!"

Edward muttered something under his breath, before a smirk quickly replaced his snarl. "If you stop stalling and start walking, I'll show you a place with even better flowers."

"Really?!" Winry squeaked, but quickly hid her excitement with a skeptical expression. "How do I know you're not lying?"

Edward rolled his eyes and turned towards the trail. "Guess you'll just have to find out!"

Winry quickly got to her feet and followed after. "You better not be lying, Edward Elric""

"Or what?" he called over his shoulder, quickening his pace as Winry got closer.

"Or I'll beat you bloody, that's what!" she shouted, and broke out into a full on run as she chased the bratty alchemy-freak down the mountain side.

:

"Where is it? Where is it?!" Winry asked, for possibly the hundredth time.

"Calm down, woman!" Edward barked. He kept his face turned away from the girl, doing his best to hide the grin that he couldn't shake off.

They made great time on their trek from the unexpected chase down the mountain side. Edward couldn't remember the last time he actually enjoyed running that hard. When Winry got close enough, she tackled him, and she laughed whole heartedly at the shrill scream he let out as he fell head first into the ground. He shouted all kinds of obscenities at her, but Winry merely rolled her eyes and jumped to her feet, but not without calling him a "whiny baby" and urging him to stop being lazy. She really was a pain in the ass, sometimes.

Winry placed her hands atop of his shoulders, jumping up and glancing over them excitedly as he turned towards a lush landscape. Once he spotted a familiar little brook, he guided Winry through the trees and small passages until the running water fed into a small pool, where lilies and lotus of various colors bloomed.

"Alright, we're here," he told her, and moved aside to see the look of wonder on her face. "Happy now?"

Winry made no sound, however. Instead, she stared wide-eyed at the colors that glowed from the beams of light that peaked through the tops of the trees.

"Oh my gosh," she whispered, and took a step forward. "Oh my gosh!"

She looked as if she were going to jump out of her skin. She moved one way, then moved to another, unable to decide what flower to touch, what scent to smell first. She knelt down in front of the water and reached for a scarlet colored lotus. She picked it and brought it to her nose, breathing in the scent and sighing out a sound of pure delight. A quick laugh slipped past her lips, and it made Edward's chest feel light.

He joined her on the bank of the stream pool, and together they sat in the most serene quiet the pair had ever experienced. Winry placed the red lotus behind her ear, adorning it like a hair pin. The size of the flower was rather large, he thought. Too large to actually stay put for long. He pulled from his pocket a red cloth, and handed it to his companion.

"Use it as a headband," he told her, and he watched as she carefully wrapped the fabric around the flower and her hairline.

"This place is beautiful," she sighed, and lied back on the grass as she closed her eyes. "I could stay here forever."

"Yeah," Edward agreed.

Perhaps, they would spend the rest of the day there, lying in the shade and smelling the sweetness of the earth. They could eat the fish in the stream or pick berries, whatever seemed best. At night, they could sleep under the stars, and if Winry fell asleep closely to him as she often did, perhaps he'd have the courage to remove any distance left and sleep against her.

Thoughts of that nature swarmed his mind as Edward watched Winry smile at the sky. For now, though, he was content with merely taking in the sight of her.

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He found the little darlings as he followed his lotus' trail, and watched them from afar in the shadow of the night.

He found the pair to be quite strange. The man was no doubt Xingese, yet he wore Resembool's insignia on his uniform. The womanly one that blindly followed him was far more appealing, however. They hid their curves well, but he could smell how they longed for the man. The scent of arousal grew stronger every time red eyes glanced at him.

His chimeras growled with desire as they watched them during the witching hour. Their lack of a pleasurable show only made him want to greet them that much more. Perhaps he could show the Xingese man what it is to truly take a woman.

But the man was trained in a strange alchemy, and red eyes somehow sensed that something was near; they constantly looked out in the dark, near their little hideaway.

Oh, how he wished he could hear the sound of her screams, had she found the monsters that lurked in the shadows. But Winry's blood was growing less potent by the day, and he didn't want to risk sacrificing his new pets for a quick release.

They moved along, but not without letting their presence linger through the night air, leaving the red eyed watcher and Xingese man unable to sleep.

:

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Edward and Winry woke before the sun rose. The morning brought no awkward glances or flushed faces, despite the fact that he was roused by the smell of her hair.

The lush plant life began to lessen as they descended down the mountainside, leaving them to view only rocks and sand. Edward knew that this would happen as they got closer to Liore, but the change felt strange to him. He also noticed that Winry seemed distant; constantly staring out behind her and fiddling nervously with her fingers.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, though she did not respond immediately. "Hey, Winry?"

The girl stopped walking, her attention focused completely on the path behind her. Edward heard a slight gasp leave her before she whispered, "Something… Something isn't right."

His brow furrowed and he moved closer to her. "What do you mean?"

Her eyes were dark when she looked at him. "Let's keep moving, please?"

Edward didn't like seeing her this way, so fragile and afraid. She hadn't been that way since he found her, and he didn't want her to ever feel that way again.

"Yeah, let's go," he told her, and veered her towards the road in front of them.

Her worrisome looks sent an ominous chill down his spine. He was starting to feel it as well; something definitely wasn't right. Could it be the mountains? Were their lack of troubles as they journeyed through them leaving the duo paranoid? Edward tried to rationalize that he was being ridiculous, that they'd be fine once they reached Liore. Part of him believed it to be true, while the other kept kept a sharp eye, hoping that nothing would jump out from behind the mess of rocks that surrounded them.

The path was narrowing down, and Edward saw a cliff overlooking the desert that surrounded Liore. A small bit of relief hit him as he pulled Winry towards the view point. Seeing the city would definitely lift their spirits. His chest felt light as he looked over, but that lightness quickly turned to stones in his stomach.

"What the hell…"

Liore was in shambles. The desert city's sturdy buildings and homes were torn apart or barely standing, the wreckage of whatever devastation occurred still lying in ruins. It was devastating. The only structure still in tact was large and gaudy, and right in the middle of the city. Although it had been years since Edward passed through, he was certain that thing wasn't in Liore before. It looked like a church of some kind, and that thought unsettled him greatly.

"Edward," Winry whispered, and suddenly his mind was focused on the girl at his side. "I'm afraid."

That damned something that ate away at the back of his mind told him she had every right to be. His face hardened as he placed a hand on top of Winry's head, moving his fingers gently through her hair in an effort to comfort her.

"Stop worrying," he commented, and moved her closer to him. "We'll be alright."

He felt her hand clench his shirt, and heard a soft, "Okay."

Edward faced the broken city with a spark of challenge in his eyes, rather than fear. They would be alright, he'd damn well make sure of it. They had to be, because he promised Al he'd come home, as well as his promise to Winry to keep her safe. His open hand clenched tightly into a fist. There was no way he'd let either of those promises be broken.

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	11. Chapter 11

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The voices in her head were screaming, and Winry knew something bad was going to happen. She could feel it in her bones; the prickling and splintering of fear as it crept from the tips of her toes and attacked her heart and mind. It was painful, so painful it was numbing.

She noticed her vision began to blur the further she and Edward traveled down the mountain; it faded in and out with the pounding in her head. The volume of the voices' cries reverberated so violently, it felt as though her skull would crack from the pressure. The force was too much; it made her feel sick.

"You okay?" Edward asked her, as he had several times before, and she nodded sluggishly. They were almost down the mountain, she told herself. Only a little further to go and they'd be in Liore, looking for Edward's friends and, hopefully, resting themselves for another day of traveling. She just needed to keep moving, to not let the screaming overpower her. Winry silently begged for those disembodied voices to calm, but they simply wouldn't leave her be

It happened suddenly. Darkness appeared with the pulsing of her temples and swallowed everything around her. She lost sight of the mountain's trail and the boy that tightly held her hand, and was sent swirling into a vortex of chaos and panic. She tried to move, to run, crawl, or swim away, but it was no use; the horrid abyss had swallowed her whole. Distorted masses surrounded her, morphing into what almost mirrored screaming faces. She wanted to look away, but couldn't. The faces stared at her no matter how many times she closed her eyes. They shouted and spat at her, trying so hard to say something, but she couldn't understand.

"Please stop," she whimpered. "Please, please.."

Yet the voices continued. The shrillness of their screams began to harmonize, and, although her eardrums felt as if they were going to burst, she began to hear words.

"Run, little flower," they warned. "Run before he takes your sunshine away."

"I don't understand," she called, but their shrieks spiked, and she grasped her ears tightly. "Please, stop!"

_"RUN, FLOWER."_

_"RUN, FLOWER."_

_"RUN, FLOWER."_

_"Run, Winry!"_

"Winry!"

A sudden shake brought her back to reality, and with a quick burst of light and sound, Winry found herself standing in the middle of a busy street. A group of men on horseback shot past, and had Edward not grabbed hold of her, she would have been trampled. She took a sharp inhale as her body reestablished its balance. Her skin tingled as the desert heat kissed her shoulders and the bridge of her nose. Her vision was shaky, but she could make out Ed's silhouette as he searched for some kind of injury or weakness, and her nerves went hot once she realized how tightly he was holding her.

"What the hell were you doing?!" he shouted, the gold of his eyes ignited with panic. "Are you trying to put me in an early grave?!"

Winry took in deep breaths as he yelled in an attempt to calm her fast beating heart. What in the world was she doing, and where the hell were they? Did they get to Liore? When did that happen? She couldn't remember much of anything, and it terrified her. Those faces, those awful faces and their screams..

Edward stopped his tirade the moment he heard her whimper.

"H-hey! Stop!" he exclaimed. "Dammit, don't cry."

"I'm sorry," Winry squeaked. "I-I don't know.." She sniffed back sobs as he cupped the side of her face with his hand.

"Calm down, okay?" he ordered, wiping a small collection of tears away. "No need to turn into a big baby."

"Not helping," she pouted, taking no notice to how the pit in her stomach had begun to melt away. The feel of his glove against her skin wasn't exactly pleasant, but she found herself leaning into his leather-covered palm. She was with Edward. She was in Liore with him, and not in that dark place with those haunting faces.

"You're still feeling something bad, aren't you?" he asked, and her eyes focused on his, making a silent confirmation that he was correct. They lingered in that pose a few moments more, before remembering that they were still in the middle of a rather cluttered street. Edward's nose turned slightly red as he pulled away, wiping his hands on his pants and staring off at nothing in the distance.

"Let's keeping going," he said gruffly, but not before discreetly, almost shyly, taking her hand into his. "Don't…" he began, but paused and huffed, blowing a collection of hair out of his face. "Don't do that again. Say something when you don't feel right, instead of making me worry." Winry nodded bashfully, feeling a flush of heat hit her that wasn't caused by the desert.

The city of Liore looked like the scene of a strange dream. The buildings seemed oddly eclectic, with how some seemed to be made from mud and rock, while others were built with large columns and open doors. The streets were covered in sand and debris, but Winry could see the old stone paving hidden underneath.

The further into the city they went, the more congested and rowdy the roads became. There were open tents and stands closely put together, selling foods and different items of trade, and the citizens moved in and out, and all around them. Winry found herself mostly enthralled by the latter; the majority of the people had darkened skin and warm colored eyes, something she had never seen before. She listened intently as many spoke a harsh language she couldn't dream of understanding, and began to smile widely. To think, she never would have known of Liore, had she stayed in the ground. She never would have seen such beautiful people or heard such an attention-grabbing language. She was in love with the uniqueness, and when the thought of Dublith having even more of it came to her, she became all the more excited to go there.

Edward didn't seem to be as captivated with the people, however. For while they traveled through the growing crowd, he continuously muttered curses under his breath and glared furiously at every person that touched him. Winry furrowed her brow and readied herself to scold him, but she heard him mutter, "This isn't right." and, suddenly, pull her closer to him. A heavy, aching feeling began to swirl in her chest, and she felt her breathing slowly begin to strain. She looked to the people that swarmed around them, and noticed the mixture of panic and unnatural splendor in their expressions. She may not have understood the language they were speaking, but their faces explained everything to her. There was a chaos brewing within them, the clashing of emotion was far too drastic to be considered normal. With her free hand, Winry grabbed the sleeve of Edward's shirt and leaned into him.

"Edward, what are they saying?" she asked. He glanced over his shoulder at her, then back to the road.

"It's hard to make out, since they're speaking in Ishvalan," he began, but something, some word that Winry did not hear nor would have understood must have been murmured, for Edward stopped his trekking immediately; his shoulders tensed and his neck hairs stood at the ends. "I'm not sure, but it sounds like they're talking about some kind of religious uprising."

Oh, she did _not_ like the sound of that. The ache swirling in her middle began to pulsate, and Winry winced. Edward noticed immediately, and shook the arm that she tightly held to catch her attention.

"What did I tell you about worrying so much?" he barked, but like always, his angry tone held no real malice. "We just have to get to the center of the city and find Cain. I'm sure he knows what's going on."

He let out a sigh and attempted to soften his tone. "Just relax, okay?"

"Fine," she told him. "But stop yelling all the time."

"I'll yell if I wa-OW!" he started to shout, but a hard pull on his braid caused him to let out a shrill yelp. "Dammit, woman! Hands off!"

"Oh, just lead the way!" she exasperated, but a smile quickly took place of her scornful expression once Edward's attention went back to the path ahead of them.

:

It hardly took anytime to reach the center of the desert city. Edward squirmed at the sight of people swarming the gaudy house of worship, shouting prayers and raising their hands to the skies as if some deity would make them come true. They were acting like ants on a fallen piece of food, the way they reached out and climbed over each other. It was enough to make him sick.

"Teach us, Father!" they cried. "Praise be our lord and savior, Leto!"

"Leto?" Winry whispered. "I've never heard of Leto."

"Neither have I," Ed replied. "You know about religion?"

"A little," she answered, almost coyly. "I thought most of them were fables, but some of the lessons and virtues stuck out as possible truths."

Edward scoffed. "Religion is a cult for the gullible and unworldly."

"Perhaps," Winry said. "Or maybe it's a glimpse of hope for the cautious and broken."

Edward tilted his head, the corners of his mouth spread into a lopsided grin. He didn't expect that kind of retort from her.

"Since when did you become a philosopher?" he teased, and the girl rolled her eyes as she playfully nudged her elbow into his side. There was a flicker of a smile on her lips, and Edward focused in on them. He liked how deeply her top lip curved, like a child's drawing of a bird in flight, or how the bottom lip seemed to pout, just slightly. They weren't large or plump like the mouths of other women, but they looked soft, even sweet.

"EDWARD, YOU'RE BACK!"

His thoughts of Winry and her mouth were quickly ended by the unexpected shriek of a woman, followed by a ferocious hug that sent him straight to the ground. He let out a curse as his head connected with stone, and, slowly, opened his eyes to see red bangs silhouetting a smiling face. Of all people, it was Cain's fucking fiancée!

"What the hell, Rose?" Ed grunted, but once he realized that the girl was practically on top of him, and took notice of Winry's perplexed stare, he quickly shoved her away. "Get off!"

Rose laughed loudly as she stood, the same carefree and energetic way he remembered from his days spent studying foreign science with her betrothed. He never understood why Cain put up with her. Where he was a man who strived for knowledge and understanding, she was a woman whose beauty was as great as her naivety.

"What brings you back to Liore?" she asked, then clasped her hands together excitedly as she bounced in place. "Did you come to see the prophet, Cornello?!"

"Cornello?" he grumbled as he beat the dirt of his pants. "Who's Cornello?"

Her laughter had started to grate Ed's nerves. "You can't be serious!" With a quick movement, Rose grabbed Edward's wrist and began to pull him towards the large church. "Come on, the sermon is about to begin!"

"Wai-wha?!" he stammered, but before he could formulate a full word, he was reluctantly on the move. Ed barely managed to latch onto Winry and bring her to his side. She look confused, a little angry even.

"Who is _she_?" she whispered, and Edward didn't know whether to cower or laugh.

"My friend's _fiancée_ ," he replied as fast as he could, and suddenly took notice of the flush in her cheeks. "Winry, why are you-"

"Shush! He's here!" Rose squeaked, and the three stopped at the edge of the church's staircase. The people roared with praises and pleas as a bald, beefy looking man in black robes stepped out into the light.

"My children!" he bellowed, and the crowd went _wild_. Winry wrapped herself around his arm as the people screamed at unearthly volumes. They threw flowers in the air and fought like animals, in hopes of obtaining the space closest to this so-called father's feet. Just what the hell kind of religion was this? Edward cringed as he watched the man raise meaty hands in the air and smile a large and toothy grin. "Behold the mighty power of our god!"

He grabbed a falling flower, crumbled it, and with a quick blow to his cupped palms, spread a cloud of pink petals all around the area. From that, he took the few petals that remained in his hand, and created a large, ornate statue of of crystalized blossoms that circled around his being. Everyone in the crowd was awed and inspired, except for Edward. To the untrained eye, it may have seemed like this man was conducting "miracles", but Edward saw the sparks that emitted around his fingers. That son of a bitch was a fraud.

"He's using alchemy," he whispered. "But how?"

He watched Cornello closely. Was he standing on a transmutation circle? No, that couldn't be it. It wouldn't explain how he was able to create different reactions from the flowers. As a matter of fact, how _was_ he getting that final reaction? He was taking organic matter and creating non-organic matter!

"Edward," Winry said, and softly tugged on his sleeve. "His ring, there's something wrong with it."

Edward's brow furrowed, and he looked back to the man's hands. Sure as hell, he was wearing a large ring. "How can you tell?"

"I can feel it," she replied. "Something, something bad, is in that ring."

His pupils dilated and teeth ground together in thought. Was that his source of power? Just what the hell kind of thing could do that unless… It was an amplifier just like the pocket watch. Edward balled his fists and snarled at the false prophet. This wasn't his problem. He had more important things waiting for him than dealing with a false priest, but he couldn't stop thinking that he needed to stop this man from spreading lies…

… and then, he spoke again.

"Our merciful god has blessed our king, and through him, me, this gift," he proudly boasted, but the fatty skin of his cheeks reshaped the large grin to a deep frown. "But this power shall not last long."

"No doubt from wasting it's alchemic properties," Ed muttered under his breath.

"The kingdom of Xerxes has suffered greatly by the oppressive hands of our great enemy," Cornello continued, and the crowd grew angry. "Resembool, a land of heretics and sinners, has gained control of the blessing from our God, and uses it for the maiming and destruction of our people!"

The citizens of Liore responded with zealous and hate, shouting profane slurs against the neighboring country, among other horrid things. Edward couldn't believe all the vile words that filled the desert air:

"Fiendish cowards!"

"Pale faced devils!"

"Kill them all and take back what's ours!"

It was barbaric, the way they spoke of Resembool and its people. He always knew of the animosity between the countries, but this was _insane_. He subconsciously pulled Winry closer to his side, taking a close study of every person that stood nearby, making sure no one took notice of her fair skin.

"We must show our devotion to his divine grace! Together, we can rejoice in the splendor of God's gift!" Cornello took a righteous stance and raised his fist high in the air. "Together, we Xerxians shall overcome our oppressors! The time is nigh, my brothers and sisters! By our faith in God, we shall rise to holiness and prosperity!"

The response to his final words was horrid and alarming. The uproar was one of the most inhumane things Edward had ever witnessed. People screamed until they spat blood, they trampled over one another with ferocity and and a distorted look of joy in their eyes. It was a rally for war, based solely on false promises from a lying priest, and he made mention of the king...

"Isn't he marvelous?" Rose gasped, her hands clasped tightly together under her chin. Her stare was just as wild and distorted as the others. "Through God's blessing, there's no limit to what Father Cornello can do! He can bring the dead back to life!"

Edward took a step back, nearly blown over by shock. She couldn't honestly think that. Nothing, not even alchemy, could resurrect the dead. How could Cain let her believe that?

"Rose, that's impossible."

Her splendor suddenly cracked. "It's _not_ impossible, not as long as I believe."

Edward shook his head defiantly. "This religion is a sham! Did you even listen to what he was saying? Does Cain know-," and then he saw it: the desperation in her expression. He could feel his mouth go dry, and his face shifted to a grimace. "Rose, where's Cain? Why isn't he here?"

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she bowed her head, the red of her bangs just barely masking her quivering lips. "He's gone, Ed."

:

Winry's heart clenched tightly at the sight of Edward's reaction. His friend, the one he spoke of so fondly in the mountains, was dead. She could see how he tried to hide his grief, but his eyes were too expressive. He clenched his teeth tightly, as if his emotional pain were so strong it had become physical. She wanted to console him, but when she moved to do so, the Rose girl spoke again.

"It's their fault," she whispered. "Those wretched people. They killed him, because he wouldn't tell them all those things you studied."

Edward's breath hitched, and his gaze shot to the dark haired girl. "What do you mean, for the things we studied?"

Her face went sullen. "You know exactly what I mean! All those evil tomes and drawings!"

Winry tilted her head in thought. Was she talking about alchemy? No, that didn't make any sense. The people of Resembool used alchemy openly; they wouldn't harm someone for studying it, would they?

"No," she thought aloud. "No, you're wrong."

As if she were noticing her for the first time, Rose turned to looked at Winry.

"How would you…" she started, and Rose's pupils shrank. Her nose wrinkled in disgust as she eyed the blonde up and down. "Of course you'd say that."

Rose took slow, unnerving steps towards Winry, but she did not move or flinch away. "You're one of them. Your deathly skin and soulless eyes give it away."

They were nearly face to face, and Rose looked down at her as if she were an insignificant insect. With a sudden jolt, the woman's hand was raised high in the air, and moved to strike. "You filthy little!"

Winry flinched, but before Rose could even lay a finger on her, Edward forced his way between them and grabbed her arm. His mouth was a thin line, his nostrils were flared and his eyes… It was the first time Winry saw his anger read all the way to the gold of his irises, and it startled her.

"Back off, Rose," he growled, his arms shaking from the fury he tried to keep under control. She fought against his hold, but she stood no chance at breaking away until Ed was ready to let her go.

"How could you defend her?" Rose cried. "That horrid little thing- it's her people that took him away!"

Edward's grip on her tightened and she bit back a wince. " _She_ didn't do anything," he spat, as if his words were venom and she were an open wound.

Rose glowered vehemently, as if Edward had committed an unforgivable sin. She stuck her neck out as far as she could, so that her nose nearly touched his, and whispered, "May God have mercy on you, Edward Elric, for I cannot promise that you'll be shown any in this country, not while you have a monster by your side."

Edward snarled before releasing all the force he had been holding back, causing Rose to propel as far from him and Winry as possible. She stumbled backward, nearly falling over from her unsteady footing. Disgust and hurt radiated from the woman as she heaved a breath and stomped away from them, and Edward let out a grunt as he stepped closer to Winry. The anger that once oozed from him immediately dissipated the moment he placed a hand on the top of her head.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, but she remained quiet. Her mind grew overwhelmed with thoughts of what had been said about Resembool, and her. Rose, Father Cornello, the people of Liore; they would all consider her a monster. Was it possible that every person in Xerxes might believe that, too? The muscles in Winry's throat and chest began to constrict as she thought of Dublith. She had labeled that place to be her paradise, her future home. Would the people of that town hate her, as well?

"Let's get going," Edward said gruffly, pulling her to his side. "This area is too crowded."

Winry nodded her head absently and began to walk in time with him, with his arm wrapped tightly around her, and his fingers moving deeper into her hair. She nuzzled her cheek against the leather of his vest and let out a soft, but sad sigh. She wondered if Edward was holding her so closely, because he feared what would happen should someone see the pale color of her eyes, or the pigment of her skin. The thought made her shudder; she hoped they wouldn't have to find out.

:

Edward quietly hoped that no one would pay them any heed as they walked through the fast moving crowd, towards the bustling marketplace. How could he have forgotten the prejudice this country had towards Resembool? He mentally cursed at himself for being so reckless. That mistake could have cost them their lives, had some insane member of that church spotted her when they came to the city. Edward held Winry tightly as they walked past a group of Letoists, still riled up from the so-called prophet's "teachings". Listening to them talk made his stomach churn. How could people be so ignorant? He needed to protect her from people like that, but how?

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a man carrying a large burlap sac, no doubt filled with some kind of edible resource. The bag was nearly the same size of the man, and an idea sparked as he noticed how thick it appeared. He scanned the area closely, looking for any officers that might be lurking in the shadowy alleyways. When he was confident that the area was clear, he calmly began to whistle and slow his pace. The man remained at his same speed, and once he began to pass by Edward, the blond stuck his foot out in front of him, successfully tripping him. Edward snatched the bag as the man was falling, letting the potatoes that it carried plop all over the dusty road. He quickly turned and moved him and Winry towards the edge of the road, just as people began to notice the poor man sprawled on the ground. Edward muttered a soft apology as he clapped his hands and turned the sac into a hooded cloak, and draped it around Winry's shoulders.

"Wear this," he told her. "And don't take it off unless I say it's safe."

Winry nodded as she pulled the cloak tightly around her, it nearly engulfed her small frame. As the commotion around the man and his potatoes grew, Edward snatched two apples off the stand beside them when the vendor wasn't looking. He whistled nonchalantly as he handed one to his companion, and took a large bite out of his own.

"You're horrible, you know that?" Winry commented, rolling the fruit between both of her hands.

"Just shut up and eat it, before I do." Edward said, his mouth still full. Winry elbowed his side, and together, they walked away from the scene as swiftly, and calmly, as possible.

A slight weight had lifted from his shoulders, now that Winry's features were concealed, but they still had the issue of finding a place to sleep that night. With Cain gone, they had no real place to go, and there was no way in hell they'd be able to stay with Rose. He had no money to pay for a room at an inn, and he figured most of them were probably with people who's homes were destroyed. Now that he thought of it, he never found out how this place became so broken.

"Edward," Winry whispered, and his attention was immediately focused on her. The cloak shielded her well, even being as close to her as he was, he couldn't make out the details of her face. It left him feeling rather glum, but he did his best to ignore the sudden ache to see her eyes.

"What are we going to do?" she finally said, and although the question was incredibly vague, Edward knew exactly what she meant. This city; they were only going to stay for the night, and now they've stumbled upon some kind of religious conspiracy. The smart thing to do would be to leave as soon as possible; Dublith was so far at the edge of the country, he doubted any influence of Letoism would ever reach there. It'd be so easy to leave, to bring her home with him and finally heal Al. They could all be happy together, oblivious to the evils that were being birthed in the far away desert, but he knew he could never do that. To withhold the truth from these people would make him as much of a liar as that Cornello bastard.

"I think," he began. "That we're gonna have to pay a visit to that false prophet."

Winry, or more like Winry's hood, nodded in agreement. "Tonight?"

Edward shook his head and crossed his arms. "No, tomorrow." They turned down a desolate street, filled with ruined buildings and debris. "Right now, we need to find a place to rest."

"Or," Winry added, and stepped towards the wreckage of a broken home. "We could make one."

Ed smirked, imagining Winry's smile as the cloak pointed to the spot in question, and with a crack of his knuckles and a roll of his neck, he clapped his hands and got to work.

:

Night time came, and Edward used the remnants of broken furniture to make a bed large enough for both of them. He was rather proud of his handiwork, but Winry found it rather peculiar looking; a fact that made him rather exasperated.

Edward fell asleep almost immediately after his head touched the cushioning. The sound of his snoring filled the area and gave Winry a good chuckle, but eventually, she began to feel lonely, and thoughts of the church, the people and their hatred, all began to stir within her. She rubbed her cheek against the bedding and closed her eyes, and began to think of the crowds during the sermon. They were so loud, their cries and prayers made no sense to her. The sounds grew louder, and the scene grew darker, and suddenly, those people transfigured into the haunting masks that plagued her in the mountains. They surrounded her once more, and although their shouting was still too loud, she was able to understand them.

" _Run, little flower, to your dirt bed."_

_"Keep your petals, or be plucked dead."_

_"The sun might be shining, but it won't for long."_

_"Move fast, flower, before your sunshine is gone."_

Winry tried to open her eyes, but the figures were still there; watching her with misshapen stares and terrifying snarls. She tried to move away, to get on her feet and run, but they followed her. She moved through darkness as fast as she could, pumping her arms and legs as hard as possible, and soon, the voices grew faint. She only stopped running when she was out of breath, and as she leaned into her knees and took in deep inhales, a strange, yet familiar feeling engulfed her. The air felt damp, but cool, and the ground was soft underneath her feet. She took a step forward, and her foot connected with something firm. She tapped it, and recognized the feeling of skin. She jumped back, unable to see who might be lying on the ground.

"Who's there?" she whispered. "Who are you?"

There was no response. She inched closer to where she felt the body, squinting at the dark in hopes of maybe seeing something. A very dim collection of colors began to illuminate, and they sharpened into human-like details, but enough for her to see who the person could be.

"Hello?" she breathed, and a bright light flashed in the area, exposing Edward's body sprawled out in front of her. He was lying in a pool of blood.

No, no, this couldn't be happening

A set of hands reached out from behind her, pulling her into a suffocating hold.

"I've found you," an oily voice whispered, and a sickening feeling of fingers ghosting her body overcame her. "My little lotus."

_It was Kimblee._

"No!" she screamed. "No, please!"

Winry flailed as much as she could, fighting against his hold with all her might, but it proved useless. With a painful thud, her body fell to the floor. She tried to reach out for Edward; to touch him and heal whatever horrible injury was inflicted on him. She needed him, more than anything she ever needed before.

But her fighting proved useless, for Kimblee's hands grabbed onto her ankles and began to drag her away.

"No!" she screamed, and clawed violently at the ground. "NO, PLEASE! LET ME HEAL-"

Her voice was silenced when she noticed Edward's eyes weren't blinking; the shining gold color had dimmed to a lifeless amber. Edward was dead.

" _NO!_ " she screamed, but Kimblee pulled her further away. " _NOOOO-_ "

"Winry, wake up!"

She gasped fiercely as a sudden jolt forced her back to consciousness. Her mouth felt dry and her chest felt strained, as if her lungs were going to give out at any moment. Steady hands helped her to an upright position as she struggled to even out her breathing, and Winry nearly let out a scream before realizing it was Edward holding her. He looked so worried, but he was _alive_. Winry almost couldn't believe it.

"You were having a nightmare," he told her. The moonlight illuminated the color of his eyes, making them bright like the sun. They were so full of life, so vibrant and full of energy. The memory of those eyes being dim and cold haunted her as she looked at them, and once Winry fully came to, she began to sob.

"Hey, it's okay!" Ed exclaimed. "Calm down, it was just a dream."

"You were dead," she choked. "You were dead, and I couldn't save you."

Her tears grew hysteric, shaking her so fiercely she thought she was going to be sick. Edward wasted no time pulling her to his chest, and cradled her closely as she cried. She held onto him tightly, memorizing the sound of his heartbeat and the feeling of his arms around her.

"I'm alive, okay?" he whispered into her hair. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you."

It was in that moment, that Winry understood why Rose blindly followed Father Cornello. It may have only been a dream, but for a moment, Winry felt what it was like to lose someone she loved.

:

:

Sie couldn't understand why they were still in the mountains. Roy had them waste an entire day of traveling for setting up a camp in the middle of the open trail and exploring through the wooded area nearby. It was careless, childish, even, and Riza was growing extremely frustrated.

"I thought we were on an important mission," sie spat at him, but Roy seemed oblivious to hir anger, and simply gazed at the lush greenery.

"We are," he replied, and leaned closely to a bush, analyzing the berries growing from it. "Now, are these edible?"

What an idiot! How dare he waste hir time like this! Sie huffed in aggravation and swiftly moved towards their campsite, leaving him to find out on his own.

By the time they were greeted by nightfall, Riza was set on going to sleep and ignoring any attempt at communication made by the General. The ignorant fool had made the campfire so large, it was bound to attract the attention of any person making their way through the mountain. Sie was already at edge over an incident a few nights before, and the idiot still wasn't learning from his mistakes!

"Roy, would you _please_ ," sie began to say, when the sound of hooves echoed from the path. Sie sat up immediately, searching the darkness for a sign of trespassers.

"It's okay, Riza," Roy smiled, and when sie turned towards him, sie saw a spark in his eyes and smirk on his face. "I've been expecting them."

Hir brow furrowed at him, when all of a sudden, it hit hir. The letter, the unnaturally slow advancement, the mentioning of a plan…

Roy stood and moved towards the arriving group of soldiers, his stance strong and militaristic. There were four in total, and a rather motley looking total at that. They all saluted at their commanding officer, and Roy saluted back.

"Colonel Havoc, Lieutenant Colonels Breda and Falman, and Major Fuery," he stated, his voice deep and commanding. "You have all been selected for an important mission. We are entering Xerxes, not to attack, but to bring back the bandit known as 'The Fullmetal Alchemist'…"

He glanced at Riza from the corner of his eye. "… and honor him as a hero for caring and providing for the recently found heir to the Resembool throne."

Their responses were slight, but Riza saw the shock in their body language. Their muscles tightened, their pupils shrank, and the lowest ranked officer gasped softly.

"Sir," the colonel responded. "The Fullmetal Bandit is wanted for a crime committed against the queen. Are you certain he truly has an heir accompanying him, and isn't furthering his treason by setting-"

"At ease, Havoc" he replied, "I am certain he is traveling with the heir, and she is with him due to her own choosing. I," and pointed to Riza, "as well as my companion, have witnessed her claiming so."

Riza steadied hir breathing as sie listened to the conversation. Sie couldn't believe it, would this plan work? Would these men truly follow along?

Roy eyed them all with a confident stride, and continued. "The crime of stealing an old pocket watch will be meaningless, once the queen is reunited with the lost princess."

This time, the men did not try to hide their surprise. Even Riza sucked in a larger breath than intended at the mention of the princess.

"All that will be assisting in this operation shall most likely receive high honors," Roy claimed, and out of the corner of his eye, looked to Riza, "And will be pardoned of any wrong-doing for the safe return of our princess."

Riza's heart began to beat sporadically.

_He was going to try to clear hir name._

It was almost impossible to believe such a thing could be done, but should sie claim aide to their mission, it just might work. Sie would no longer be a criminal, and without a bounty on hir head….

"Are you with me, men?" he asked, and they all saluted proudly, shouting "Yes, Sir!" in unison.

Roy turned to hir, his stance still that of a soldier's, but the smile he gifted hir was one sie only ever saw in dim lighting and locked rooms. Sie did hir best to remain straight faced, but inside, hir heart was aching for him. If all went well, they could be together. They wouldn't have to hide their love in the dark. Riza let out a shaky breath as the men demounted their horses and joined Roy by the fire.

If his plan worked, sie would no longer need to hate the sun.

:

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:


	12. Chapter 12

:

:

:

Roy Mustang stood from his spot by the dying fire, his mind running over the complete plan of action he had just told his men. He hated going into anything blindly, but if there was a chance, even the slimmest of chances, that the "Fullmetal" brat was still with the heiress…

"We leave for Xerxes now," he told them, and his soldiers obeyed immediately. Riza stood by his side quietly. Hir movements still ever so cautious, despite knowing that none of his men would even attempt to arrest hir while sie was under his protection.

"They need to disguise themselves," sie whispered. "Your men all bare the look of Resembool people. They aren't like you and me."

"Good eye," he replied, and turned to the soldiers. "Make sure to keep your hoods up and skin covered at all times. Use mud if you must. Your blinding white complexion will be a dead give away that we're invaders, not to mention I don't want to hear you complain about burns from the desert sun."

"Yes, sir!" they bellowed, and began their journey down the mountain.

:

:

Edward didn't sleep much at all that night. Once Winry's tears pushed her back into slumber, he spent the rest of those lonely hours watching over her, in case any nightmares plagued her again. This, however, left him with only his thoughts, and they had proven to be rather awful company. Their arrival in Liore ended up being the very opposite of what he had hoped. It was meant to be a happy reunion with friends and a joyous halfway mark on his return home. Instead, he was met with death, deceit, and hatred.

Truly, this was the worst homecoming he could have ever envisioned.

Throughout the night, Ed kept Winry close to his side; not because he wanted to, but because every time he'd let his grip loosen, she'd whimper, and he couldn't stand to hear the sound. She didn't have the strength of a warrior, but for her to be so broken was strange and unnatural. Edward didn't want her to be a scared little girl, he wanted her to be the smiling, bright-eyed pain in the ass that he'd come to know and care for. He never wanted her to cry like that again.

When the sun was bright enough to light the inside of the ruddy house, Winry began to stir. She didn't make her normal morning sighs or gift him a sleepy grin. Instead, she sat up slowly, as if she were a puppet on a string, and wrapped her arms around herself. It made his chest ache to watch her entire body curl in towards her middle, uncertainty taking her every feature.

Winry glanced his way, her eyes never actually meeting his, and suddenly, everything in that moment became surreal. They were planning to leave and head for the church, so that they could approach that priest bastard and prove that religion of his was false. It was terrifying, but these people deserved to know the truth, whether they'd welcome it or not. Still, he couldn't shake the thought of just how badly things could turn out. This could cause riots. Hell, it could even be the start of a civil war. He wouldn't put anything passed these people when it came to blind devotion. Damn, did his heart always beat so fast when he was about to do something stupid? He looked at the head of blonde hair beside him, and sucked in a breath. She looked so frail. He hated seeing her that way.

To hell with worrying, Edward thought, and stood abruptly.

The sudden movement caused Winry to jump. She turned right as he offered her his hand, and after a moment of blankly staring at his outstretched palm, she took it. He lifted her to her feet with a simple tug, putting only inches between them once she found her balance. They remained in a somber quiet, both gazing at one another with an unnamed emotion. In that brief time, Edward analyzed the lightness of her skin. It surprised him, for whatever reason, just how drastic the difference was compared to his own. Though he didn't bare the vibrant bronze that many Xerxians did, his tanned complexion contrasted greatly against the ivory shade that was Winry. He didn't mind it, however. In a way, he found the difference rather pleasing to the eye.

He lifted his hand to brush her bangs out of view, and paused by the lotus in her hair. The flower somehow managed to stay perfectly intact, but it must have been shifted from its original spot, for the stem had nearly fallen out of her band. With the lightest of touches, Ed put the lotus back in its place. Winry closed her eyes as his fingers lingered by her skin, and rose her own to intertwine with his. It surprised him that her hands weren't dainty. He couldn't feel them through his damned gloves, but he could easily see the callouses that decorated her fingers and palms. He wondered what she had done in her past to put them there, making him intrigued by her even more. He ran his thumb across the knuckles of her fingers, before he slowly, reluctantly, pulled away. He grabbed the cloak that was draped across the bed and wrapped it around her, hiding her fair skin and bright eyes. He'd have to wait for the chance to see her smile, but at least that was something he could look forward to once this was all over.

"Ready?" he asked her, his voice raspy from the early morning, and Winry nodded softly. "Let's go."

:

The sun had only just risen, and already the streets began to fill with people. Grocers and men of other trades made their way towards their tents and stands, readying themselves for the chaos the day would surely bring. It was almost bizarre, how very different their lives were from hers. While they were continuing their daily routines, she was preparing to take down the existence of a religion; something she did not feel ready to do.

Tent by tent, stand by stand, the people opened their 'shops'. The signs of monotony were easily read from their expressions. Winry wondered absently what it would be like to lead such a life. She didn't envy them, no; envying them would be desecrating all the wondrous things she's seen and experienced. She simply questioned what it would be like to live so routinely. Would it be beneficial, or would she grow tired of it? Would Edward enjoy a life like that? Then a thought crossed her mind; she did live such a life, when she was locked away underground. Perhaps, she mused, as she watched a man fall to his knees at the sight of spoiled fruits, it wasn't always a grand life to lead.

The church appeared vacant when they arrived. Without the crowd of hysteric followers surrounding the giant structure, it seemed to stand even taller, and more ominous. It was as if they were preparing to enter a dark lord's palace, like in the fairy tales she had read. Winry's skin tingled as they made their way up the grandeur stairs towards an extravagant doorway, but Edward stared them down boldly. It was strange; she was used to him being so finicky when it came to things. Well, it was mostly things about her, but even so. She had nearly forgotten about the immense confidence he carried in himself.

"You okay?" he asked, and Winry sighed.

"Stop asking me that," she replied. "It makes me nervous."

"Pft!" Ed spat, and forced the entrance open. "My mistake for caring."

A cold, dead air escaped from the doorway, exposing a shadowy depth behind it. Winry gulped loudly, and together they walked inside.

It most definitely did not feel as though they were entering a place of worship. No, this place felt like something far from holy. The walls glowed dimly under the light of the torches lined along them, and the high ceilings loomed over them like a dark mass. It created a spark of anxiety within her; as though the blackness were an entity, watching them move about in its clutches.

Edward let out a low whistle. "This place is huge."

"-and creepy," Winry added with a stutter.

Their footsteps echoed throughout the seemingly endless space. As usual, Ed was barely a hand's reach away from her, with his hair whipping back and forth as he scanned the area closely. The sound of whispers reached their ears, and Ed waved for her to follow him into another corridor. A candlelit path seemed to grow before them, growing brighter and brighter as they moved through rows of pews, leading to a large altar.

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Winry moved to keep walking, but a sudden spark of nerves made Edward hold his hand out in front of her. He caught sight of a figure kneeling before the alter, praying with a broken voice.

"Rose," he growled.

The last time that woman was near Winry, she tried to attack her. The girl was already so shaken up just being in this place, she couldn't follow him up there with Rose near. She was safer in the dark, so the dark is where he'd ask her to stay.

"Don't move from here," he whispered, and Winry's breath hitched, nearing the sound of a whimper.

"I'm not going to leave you," he told her. "I just want you as close to the doors as possible, in case we need to make a run for it."

A soft "Okay" was all Edward needed to hear before storming towards the altar.

The sound echoed loudly, causing Rose to jump and spin her head towards him. She was a fair distance away, but Edward could see the anger building in her expression.

"What brings you here?" she barked, moving to her feet cautiously. "This is a house of worship, Edward. Don't-"

"Cut the speech, Rose," Ed interrupted, lifting his hand as though to further quieting her. "I'm here to talk to that lying bastard, Cornello."

Her eyes looked as though they would pop out of her head. "Don't refer to the father with such foul language!"

"Tch! He's not my father," he retorted, lightly kicking his foot against every seat he walked past. "I'll call him whatever I want."

When he finally reach the first row of pews, Edward flopped rather dramatically onto it. Resting his arms on the back of the seat, he casted a rather bleak and irritable look at the frail woman in front of him.

"I can't even believe you fell for all this junk," he mumbled loudly, then pointed frustratingly at the altar. "What are you even doing?"

Rose turned to the religious artifact. "I'm praying for Cain."

"Why?" he scoffed.

Her hands balled into fists, and she looked back to Ed. "I'm praying for him to come back to me."

Edward stared at her, completely baffled. "You think praying is going to resurrect the dead?"

She made no move to talk, but Edward didn't need a response to continue. "Do you honestly think that if you hope hard enough, he'll come back? Cain was a man of science, Rose. If he knew you had fallen into such a delusional mindset-"

"You don't know how he'd feel!" she cried out, and the skin around her eyes grew wet. "He was all I had, Ed! I loved him more than I love myself!" She turned back to the alter and stared at the statue of Leto that stood behind it. "My love for him is greater than death, and if god hears me, through the help of the father, he'll bring him back. I know it."

"You're wrong," he said, and the woman scowled darkly at him. "Cornello isn't using miracles… He's using alchemy."

Her mouth shrank to a sour frown and her chest began to heave. "No."

Edward let out a frustrated gasp, and slapped his hands together with a loud 'crack!'. He placed them to the ground, and from it, a perfect replica of the statue of Leto stood before them. Rose stared at it, mortified, while Ed smirked and clapped his hands once more, bringing the floor back to it's original state.

"Tell me, was that a miracle?" Ed jibed. "Is that something your 'prophet' calls an act of god?"

Rose stared at the spot where the statue once stood. There was no way of telling what she might have been thinking or feeling; her face was as dark and void of anything as the shadows within the church. Edward grumbled deeply. There was just no way of getting through to this damn woman!

"I'm telling you," Ed continued, doing his best not to explode. "He's an alchemist, and he's conning you and everyone-"

"Cornello is using the power that god granted him to help our people!" she suddenly retaliated. "Why do you have to defile his name? Why!?"

Edward glared darkly.

"If you'd embrace science the way you embrace a shitty myth, you'd understand why!" he shouted in frustration. Without thinking, Ed glanced back towards where Winry stood in the darkness and threw his hands in the air, as if to channel his complete disbelief to her. Rose was quiet as he did so, and he realized that her silence was definitely a bad thing.

"That girl," she hissed. "She's here, isn't she?"

Edward's head shot back up. "That's none of your business."

Rose shook her head slowly, walking backwards toward the altar. "How could you?"

In an instant, Ed was on his feet. He heard Winry start to move towards him and held his hand up to her, hoping she'd stay back.

"She's not leaving, and neither am I!" he yelled. "We've come to see that bastard and dammit, we're going to no matter what!"

Footsteps reverberated through the grand hall, and high above them on an unnoticed balcony, stood the father himself. The flickering of the fire caused the man's face to shift in shape, and when he smiled down at them, it almost looked demonic.

"Heh," Ed chuckled. "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear."

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Winry froze the moment she laid eyes on the father. The voices echoed in the back of her mind, making her blood run cold the longer she stared. They were telling her to run, to get as far away from this man as possible.

"Well now," Cornello boomed, still smiling that horrid smile. "What is causing so much chaos inside a house of worship?"

He placed his ringed hand on the banister, and Winry could have sworn the red gem made the entire hall pulsate. An awful crawling feeling crept from the bottoms of her feet all the way up her back. She covered her mouth, hoping to muffle out any cry that would escape her. It was awful, like hands clawing at her skin. This feeling, it had to be coming from that ring.

"Father!" Rose cried. "There's a Resembool woman! Her and this man, they-"

"They know that you're a lying bastard," Ed interrupted. "So tell me, how can you perform alchemy and ignore the laws of equivalency?"

Cornello's grin weakened. The shadows filled in the area around his deeply set eyes, making him look even more frightening.

"My dear boy," he replied, and waved a hand oddly through the air. "I think you're quite mistaken."

"The hell I am!" Edward shouted. "You're a fake, old man! Any novice alchemist could tell what you're doing isn't a damn miracle!"

Winry half listened to Edward's rant, as a horrid tingle hit the back of her neck, as if warning her to look behind. In an instant, gloved hands wrapped around her mouth and waist. She gasped, tried to fight the hand's grip on her, but it was no use. Her body thrust into the chest of a large being, and she was left completely immobile.

Edward was still yelling, completely unaware. "-better tell me now, or I'll transmute a stairway and beat your ass!"

She let out a muffled cry, trying to alert him, but the hand that held her mouth tightened, pushing the skin of her inner mouth into her teeth.

"Keep quiet, or I'll kill you right here," a deep voice hissed, and Winry fearfully obeyed.

Yet somehow, Edward must have heard her or sensed that something was amiss, for he gazed in her direction almost immediately. But before he could react, a wave of energy flushed through the room. The floor sparked and rumbled from under his feet, and in an instant, it shot up from its place and wrapped around the entirety of his right leg. At the same time, three figures emerged from the darkness, drawing swords and overlaying each blade tightly against his throat.

"The hell?" he yelled. "What's with the armed forces, huh?"

Winry's captor lifted her small form and walked towards the alter. Edward watched them appear from the shadows with shock and worry. Wide-eyed, he glared at the father with vehement rage.

Cornello's wicked smile returned. "Nicely done, men."

"You son of a bitch," Ed growled, and the blades moved closer together.

Rose crawled back towards the statue of Leto in fear. "Father, what-"

"Tell me, Rose," the false holy man began. "Is this cloaked figure the Resembool woman you speak of?"

The girl peered at her religious superior in confusion, then redirected to Winry. "Y-yes, I'm certain."

"Remove her hood," Cornello ordered, and the hand that covered her mouth lifted to her head, pulling back the fabric to reveal her fair-colored hair and skin. Her captor, as well the others in the room, gasped in horror as he threw her towards the alter. Her head crashed against the marble flooring.

"Winry!" Edward shouted, but flinched as the blades tightened around his throat.

With a painful moan, Winry raked her fingers against the cold stone floor and slowly lifted herself. Cornello gaped at her from his high place, while Rose did her best to suppress a scream.

"Such a shame," Cornello began, his stare with self-righteous disdain. "That a pure Xerxian man would take the company of such a vile creature."

"You leave her out of this!" Ed screamed, ignoring the fact a drop of his blood had hit the ground. "She hasn't done anything!"

The father's sinister grin grew inhumanely large.

"Ah, so she has ensnared you!" he exclaimed. "Can you see, Rose, how this poor man has been bewitched?" Winry dared to look at the girl. Fear was etched into every detail of her face, and she was certain that fear was mirrored in her own.

"This woman is a devil, Rose," Cornello continued. With a flick of his wrist, the man alchemically created a long blade, and dropped it at her feet. "Send her back to Hell, and God will reward you."

Both girls averted their gaze to the weapon.

Rose's lips parted absently, whispering the name of her lover as if he stood before her.

"Don't do it," Ed pleaded. "Rose, he's lying to you. Nothing can bring the dead back to life."

"How do you know?" she cried out to him, and hung her head low to the ground, signifying her desperation. "How could you know…"

Winry glanced frightfully at Edward. He was fidgeting terribly, as though he were waiting for the perfect moment to clap his hands together and escape. The sound of movement drew her attention back to Rose, and she watched as the girl slowly began to rise, taking the blade as she got to her feet.

"Grab her," Cornello ordered, and the hands that bound her before took hold of her again.

Rose lifted the weapon limply, as though she were a puppet on a string, and made her way towards Winry.

"No," Ed shouted. "No, don't do it! Dammit, stop!"

The panic within her turned wild, and Winry began to kick and scratch and move in any possible way that she could. If she didn't fight, she was going to die. She wouldn't be able to help Edward, she would never have a home. Winry began to cry as her body fiercely writhed, her tears falling faster as she fought harder against his unyielding hold. Her captor tightened his grip as Rose came closer, and she noticed her hands were trembling.

"Please don't hurt me," she sobbed, and the girl nearly jumped out of her skin. The look she gave Winry was so feeble, so vulnerable. It was a minor detail that caused a massive realization: Rose didn't blindly hate her. She _feared_ her, just as much as Winry did her in this very moment.

It made so much sense. The devastation from her lover's death, along with the lies Father Cornello and his religion fed her; they made her fear a race of people she knew nothing of, other than the color of their skin. Winry remembered when she lived in fear like that, when she was made to believe the whole world was vile and evil. It wasn't right to let a broken girl head down a path that would only further her destruction. She needed someone to show her the truth; to guide her towards her own salvation.

Rose sucked in a shaky breath as she held her guard, while Winry looked at her with empathy.

"Rose listen," she began, "I know what it's like to be so afraid of something, that you don't question why you're told to hate it." The armed girl listened with a cautious ear as she held the blade high, almost nearing Winry's chest. She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed deeply, as she remembered the fear that ruled her when she lived underground. "It's easier to deny what you don't understand, than it is to try and accept it."

Rose's movements became static; the panic that once radiated from her was reforming into uncertainty. Winry needed to let her know that she wasn't alone in her pain, that she understood, despite their situations being so different. She was so scared, but she had to be brave. So, despite her unrelenting tears, she willed herself to soften every feature as she locked eyes with the woman that could very well cause her demise.

Suddenly, that awful pulsing shot through the room again. The ground under Rose began to spark with a strange red electricity, and shot her forward. Both of them gasped as the blade held in her hands plunged deep into Winry's core.

"That should have needed no assisting, Rose," Winry heard Cornello say. "I hope I won't have to do the same with the Xerxian traitor."

She could hear the sounds of Edward screaming as those awful hands let her go. Rose collapsed with her, shrieking to her god through mortified sobs. The taste of blood filled her mouth, and with a painful gasp, Winry's heart came to a deathly pause.

:

The sword to the left of his throat drifted, and as Rose fell to ground with his companion in her arms, all hesitation vanished. He ducked his head under the blades as he sent a mighty punch into the left man's ribs. The poor bastard didn't have time to acknowledge that his bones had been broken before Ed sent a sharp kick into the knee of the man to his right, and another to the nose of the man behind him. He clapped his hands, deconstructed the material around his leg, and ran towards Winry.

"What the devil?" Cornello shouted. "Don't just stand there! STOP him!"

The son of a bitch that held her down made his way towards him, but with a drop to the floor, he swung his leg in a full circle, successfully tripping the man, and hit him with a hard uppercut. With all of Cornello's lackeys incapacitated, Edward continued towards her.

"Ed," Rose sobbed. "Ed, something happened, I didn't-"

"Shut up!" he snapped as he fell to his knees, and ripped the bleeding girl from her grasp.

"C'mon," he urged. "Dammit, don't you die on me!"

The wound in her chest was massive. He wanted to remove the blade, but fear of accidentally pushing it in further prevented him from doing so. He cringed as he watched the pretty dress Mrs. Halling had given her turn dark red.

"C'mon, Win," Ed pleaded. He lowered his head to lean against hers, but before their skin touched, a red glow emitted from her core. Ed shot back up as the light turned brighter, and in an instant, Winry was wide-eyed and gasping.

"Yuh-yuh," she choked, grimacing as she grasped the blade. "Y-you… should've…taken this…nngh- out for me."

Ed let out a stunned breath as she let the weapon fall beside her, and chuckled. "It'd be way less badass if I did it."

Covered in blood and wheezing, Winry smiled at him for the first time that day.

"No, how can that be?" Cornello stammered from his high post. "No human could have survived that!"

Winry winced in response to the father, and the anger that had boiled within Edward had taken full control of him. He gifted her with a small smirk, before he turned to scowl at the damned prophet. The man began to back away from the ledge of his post, his beady eyes became enlarged and skin turned gaunt.

"Where is it?" the man hissed, and Ed noticed his eyes were on Winry. "Where is your stone, girl?!"

Edward's scowl grew even fiercer. "Don't you dare talk to her," he said, and slowly moved to stand.

"You tricked the people of this city by calling alchemy 'the power of god'," he growled, and clapped his hands as he got to his feet.

"You held us hostage, used Rose as a pawn..."

A large and ornate spear began to rise from the electric blue currents that he channeled to the floor.

"… and to top it off, you had her try to kill an innocent girl."

He grabbed the spear, twirled it in his hand to acquaint himself with the weight, and pointed it at Cornello.

"Sounds to me like you have a death wish."

The father's bold facade vanished, but only for a moment. With a dark and ominous cackle, his ringed hand shined a vibrant red hue as he slammed it against the wall, causing the very ground they stood on to rumble.

"You insignificant fools!" Cornello bellowed, and the rumbling grew fierce, causing the floor to crack and shift levels. "The only people with a death wish are those who dare to challenge me!"

The bodies of Cornello's men were nowhere to be seen, and the fine hairs on Edward's skin stood on end as a horrid and inhuman chorus of guttural, throaty sounds began to intensify. His pulse quickened as claws scraped the ground, and deep, ferocious growls resonated from all around him. Ed took a step back towards Winry and Rose, clenching his teeth tightly as he stared out into the shadows.

There were monsters moving in the dark, and they were preparing to attack.

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	13. Chapter 13

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The sound of gnashing teeth and primal snarls were growing louder as thunderous steps caused tremors to echo across the broken ground. The intensity vibrated through the palms of Winry's hands all the way to her very core. Edward was making his way back to her and Rose, but it wasn't fast enough. The nightmare of him dead engraved itself within her. He needed to be right next to her, she needed to be able to touch him, should anything happen.

The crumbling floor knocked him off his balance. Edward dropped his weapon and stumbled backwards. In desperation, Winry reached out for his hand, but froze at the sight of large, glowing eyes staring from the shadows. She quickly covered her mouth, hoping to quell the sudden urge to scream. Edward went rigid, and she knew he saw them as well.

A dark, boisterous laugh came from the father.

"Such irony," he grinned, "that you shall die at the hands of your great alchemy's own design."

"You bastard," Edward muttered as he watched the eyes fade into blackness. "What the hell did you do?!"

Cornello laughed even harder, leaning his gluttonous middle against the railing that protected him. He slammed his hand down and the jewel sparked once more.

"ATTACK!" he bellowed, and the floor shifted with a growing intensity. Rocks and broken flooring began to shoot up from cracks. A rather large piece nearly struck Edward's forehead.

"Look out!" Winry called, but her words were cut short as large, horrifying creatures came out from the shadows and unknown depths of the ground.

These beasts were nothing like girl could have ever imagined; their bodies like large predatory mammals, but covered in scales and haphazard patches of fur or flesh. Blood stained their mouths and claws, and Winry suddenly felt ill as she noticed bits of skin caught in between their large fangs.

Rose let out a mortified shriek and crawled towards the altar, staring hopelessly up at Cornello.

"Father!' she cried. "Father, please! I don't want to die!"

Cornello paid her no heed. Without even gifting one of his most faithful followers a final glance, he replied, "Really? I thought you wanted to be reunited with your lover."

"You.." she muttered, and the pain and rage that resided within her burst. "You _monster_!"

Her screaming alerted the beasts. Their long snouts pointed in the trio's direction, snarling and dripping with bloodied saliva.

"Oh shit," Ed breathed. "Rose, shut up!"

He turned towards her, and in that small lapse of time, one of the beasts charged towards him. There wasn't enough time to react. He could barely turn back before the monster lunged in the air, and-

A barrage of arrows fired into the spine of the beast, starting from the base of its mangy tail to the back of its skull. The monster's leap faltered, and it landed clumsy only feet away from the girl, roaring in pain. From high above, a hooded figure swung towards Rose and landed right in front of beast, shooting a final blow directly into its eyes.

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_That was close._

Roy watched as Riza's hooded figure grabbed the frightened girl and moved towards the Fullmetal brat. He focused on the dying monstrosities position, aligned his hand with it, and snapped. Flames spiraled from the tips of his fingers and grew into a raging inferno, swallowing the corpse whole.

_Far too close._

"I see at least five more of those.. _things_ , Sir," Havoc informed, his crossbow aimed and ready to shoot.

"Maintain their positions and kill on sight," he ordered. "We have no idea what they're capable of, lets not give them a chance to show us."

"Yes, Sir!" he smirked, and the crack of the mechanism releasing and spewing arrows sounded off. Mustang paid no heed, however. He was too focused on the fact that this was a much worse situation than he thought.

Following tips from the city folk about a "pure Xerxian boy" and his "cloaked companion" helped him find them at the church, but he never thought he'd end up in an all out battle! Now more than ever, he was glad that he had Breda and Falman guard the entrance. At first he wanted to keep people out in case of resistance from Fullmetal, but now they can help keep the citizens safe from the threat that lingers within this supposedly sacred place.

"Fuery!" he shouted, as he made his way towards the church's altar. "Stay hidden, help with spotting the enemy's position!" he responded.

A "Yes, Sir!" could be heard the soldier's hidden point, and Roy furrowed his brow. A man who was no doubt a religious figure stood ominously high over all of them, controlling these monsters somehow.

"What the devil are you doing?!" he shouted, and slammed his hand against the banister surrounding him. "KILL THEM ALL!"

Howls echoed as the beasts surrounded him. Mustang eyed the closest one, and raised his hand.

He had no idea that his hands would become covered in blood so early into this mission, but he'd be damned if he let that stop him now.

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Edward couldn't see anything underneath the dark hood, but he knew it was Hawkeye that rescued them. He gaped absently as sie pulled both him and Winry to safety, and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the crazy blast of fire come from the dark, followed by that _damned Resembool general_! Was that crazy flame bastard _still_ after them?!

Without even glancing at him, however, he heard Hawkeye mutter, "We're both here to help. You know Resembool soldiers have no authority in this country. Right now he's an even greater criminal than you, or me."

Edward was stunned. It didn't make any sense why he'd aid them in their fight, but at the moment, he didn't really need it to make sense. What he needed was to keep Winry and himself safe, and if that meant letting a damned soldier help him, he'd take it.

"The father on the balcony is using alchemy," he blurted. "He's got an amplifier. I don't how, but he's controlling these things."

One of the beasts jumped out at them, but by the time it was airborne, Hawkeye had already fired an onslaught of arrows into its head.

The monster's body bounced hard against the ground as sie removed hir hood and stared at the young alchemist. "Are you certain?"

Ed swallowed hard and nodded, completely baffled at how sie could keep up such a stony composure.

An explosion of flames swallowed the creature, causing the group to jump back. The general bastard came into view as he walked beside the flames, wearing the face of a war-torn man.

"We need to get you three out of here," he said, as he closed the distance between them all. "We have men outside the church, they'll keep you safe."

Ed was about to reluctantly nod, but quickly shook his head. No, it wasn't right to leave. He wanted to keep Winry, Rose, and the people safe from the chaos that was happening, but he couldn't leave these guys to fight alone. He could help. He _had_ to help.

"I'm not going anywhere," he replied. "Get Winry and Rose to safety. I'm staying."

"No, you are not," he retorted, and another beast lunged at them. Riza shot a collection of arrows in synchronization with the swift snap of Roy's fingers, sending flaming arrows into its skull.

"Leave this to us, your safety is top priority."

Edward huffed and took a step towards the general, "Listen here, Soldier Smokey. I'm going to get that unholy bastard," pointed towards Winry, "make him pay for he did to her," and threw his hands in the air, "and everything else he's done! You handle the pests. I'll get _him._ "

He could tell the man was getting pissed, but a loud whistling sound interrupted the tension.

"AYE!" a man shouted, who was unfortunately surrounded by the monsters. "A LITTLE HELP HERE?!"

General Mustang had no time to argue with him, and Edward knew it. So, before he could reply, Edward alchemically created another spear, and turned to Hawkeye.

"Keep them safe!" he said, and ran into the fray.

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There was no time for Riza to pity Winry as Edward ran into battle. No, sie had to fulfill the duty of taking her and the other young lady out of the church. Before she could try to run after Edward, Riza grabbed her, fixed the bloodied cloak over her head as she alerted Rose, and led the two of them to safety. The girl pulled and fought against hir hold, but she would not let her go back to the fight.

"Please, I can't leave him!" Winry begged, but Riza did not listen. "What if he gets hurt? Please, please! I don't want him to die!"

Her loyalty to Fullmetal pulled at hir, but this fight was no place for her. With a sharp turn towards Rose, sie placed Winry in her arms.

"Watch over her," sie ordered. "Do not let her out of your sight. Do you understand?"

"Uh-Yes!" she responded, and when they reached the large front doors of the church, Riza kicked them open, leaving hirself baffled as sie looked at the entire city standing outside the entryway. Breda and Falman were doing their best to keep the area barricaded, but Riza feared it wouldn't last long.

"Keep them safe!" sie ordered to the men, and handed them off. "The fight is close to won!"

And with that, sie ran back towards the battle.

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Fullmetal was trying his damnedest to get to the Father's balcony, but somehow the chimeras were still coming at them full force. Mustang aimed his deadly finger tips precisely at a pack that was making their way towards him, and snapped. The smell of burning fur and meat was becoming almost too poignant, but he was too focused on keeping his men safe to succumb to its sickening stench.

"Keep your guard up!" he shouted to them, and released another twister of fire directly at a monster creeping behind Edward. "Fullmetal!"

The young alchemist barely dodged the projecting flames in time, shouting out obscenities before noticing the charred beast fall behind him. A dismal "Thanks" could be heard coming from the boy, but, rather than be annoyed by the lack of real gratitude in his tone, Mustang decided to focus on the task at hand: catching the father.

"You're going to need some help," he simply stated. "Let's get this over with, before more of those monsters come."

"Right," Ed proclaimed, clapped his hands, and bent down to the floor. "Keep the mutts off our tails and watch out for Cornello's ringed hand!"

A large stairway began to form from the ground, and the two men sprinted up the forming steps as it made its way towards the balcony.

Cornello was far too busy screaming orders at his monsters to notice them making their way to him, until they were about to land on the platform. In a panic, the man clumsily slammed his hand down once more, sending surges of energy at the duo. However, his aim was horribly off, and the attack missed them by several feet.

Edward leapt on to the balcony before the stairway could even connect. Cornello frantically tried to run, but Edward clapped and slammed his hands against the floor before he could reach the doorway shielding his escape. An alchemic eruption shout from his hands and sprouted around the man's legs, encasing his lower half.

"You're a piss poor shot," Mustang heard Ed shout, as he finally landed. He noticed that the prophet's ringed hand was still free as the boy made his way towards him, and it was starting to glow.

"Fullmetal, look out!" he shouted, but not in time to stop Cornello before he slammed his fist into the encasement. The duo jumped back as a barrage of debris shot at them, giving the father a perfect chance to flee down the small, dark hall beside them.

"Dammit, no!" Edward cursed, and ran after him. Mustang followed closely behind, not knowing that within that darkness were monsters, far worse than the ones below them.

They ran through the dark and narrow pathways as fast as they could. The outline of Father Cornello faded more and more into the shadowy depths with every twist and turn of the halls until Mustang was certain he could see it no more.

"Gah! We're losing him!" the young alchemist shouted, and the general gritted his teeth. He was right; Cornello knew this church and its dark passages, and they did not. There was a strong chance they could be going the wrong way, though he didn't want to admit it.

They came to a halt when their path split into two.

"Dammit!" Ed cursed again, and paced back and forth, glaring down each direction.

Suddenly, the ground underneath them began to shake uncontrollably, and a loud cry of pain echoed down the path to their right. They both ran towards the sound as it reverberated off the walls, and had Mustang not seen a slight flickering of flames from the corner of his eye, he would have missed the tiny passage that no doubt led to where Cornello was hiding. He called for Edward to follow him, but wasted no time letting him catch up.

Sliding through the small opening, Mustang found himself staring at the bottom of a spiral staircase, no doubt leading to the church's bell tower. He could hear the father's voice, and what sounded like another, from high above. He moved up the twisting step quietly, but swiftly.

"-did just what you asked me to do!" he heard the father say. "What more do you want?"

A dry, grainy cackle rang through the air, and Roy froze.

"It's not about what _I_ want," the voice mocked; something about its hoarse tone caused Roy to feel sick. "It's about what our _king_ wants."

He knew it. He knew that awful voice, but how?

"No," Cornello pleaded. "No, please! Don't"

Mustang snapped out of his trance as Cornello let out a horrid scream. He sprinted up the last steps, right as the father's body fell to the ground with a hollow thud.

That damned cackle sounded off again, only time it was louder, and murderous. Roy jerked his head towards the slender figure standing over Cornello, and when his eyes landed on that wide and demented grin, he felt himself leap back into time; back to the helpless and broken boy that was forced to watch his family die.

How that devil of a being didn't age over after all those years was far beyond his understanding, but there was no mistaking it. He was staring at the leader of assassins that massacred his people. He was staring at his family's killer.

_"You."_

The large and toothy grin faded as their eyes made contact. Roy's hand began to rise; his fingers were almost touching, almost ready to send a fiery blast of hell into the heart of the monstrous bastard.

"Mustang!" he heard Edward call, as another tremor shot through the area and knocked Roy off-balance, causing him to miss his chance at revenge.

The devil's smile twisted as Edward slammed into his back, and leapt almost weightlessly into a crouched position on the ledge of one of the bell tower's walls.

"I'd love to stay and play," they said, while dangling Cornello's ring in the air. "But I have more important things to tend to than pathetic humans."

And with that, the killer jumped out of his reach.

The tower continued to shake rigorously, but Mustang's rage blinded him to it. He stumbled over to the ledge, hoping to spot the unnamed person as they plummeted, but Fullmetal stopped him from going too far.

"We need to get out of here!" he shouted, and Roy reluctantly let the boy lead him down the rupturing stairwell.

Something within him was burning with a rage that he thought died long ago. Something that wouldn't rest until it devoured every bit of his sanity, and from the way his eyes grew darker with every passing moment, it wouldn't take long.

:

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The people of Liore knew something was wrong. Their cries of anger and confusion captured the growing tension that surrounded their precious house of worship.

"Where is the father?"

"Why has he not greeted us with his messages from God?"

Winry watched in terror as citizens began to climb the high front steps, screaming for their father to appear before them. The soldiers pulled the girls down behind the church entry's large columns and told them to stay hidden, while they did their best to keep the barricades that surrounded the area up and strong. The people's shout grew louder, more aggressive, and Winry could hear the same hatred in their voices that they had when calling Resembool's people heretics and devils.

"They're going to break through," one of the soldiers told the other. "We can't stop them, unless…"

"We aren't using force," the other soldier quickly interjected. "We're here to protect these people, not bring them harm! Remember what the general said, Breda!"

A great force shook the outside area, causing Winry to grab hold of the column as Rose shrieked beside her. She could feel bits of debris hit the top of her head, and suddenly, Winry thought of the place underground; how she would constantly have to place structure beams throughout the rooms to keep the ceiling from falling in. She looked up to where the large columns connected to the higher level, and felt her stomach drop when she saw giants cracks.

_The church was going to cave in on itself._

"We have to get away!" she blurted, and grabbed Rose. "We have to get everyone out of here! It's going to collapse!"

"What are you talking about?!" Rose exclaimed, trying to push Winry away, but she was turning hysterical.

"The tremors, the-the fighting!" she panicked. "The church is going to fall, we need to get everyone far away—"

A pang of fear struck her.

"Ed."

He was still inside with the others. She had to get him out of there. She knew she shouldn't have left him, she knew she should have fought to stay.

Winry immediately tried to get to her feet, to run into the church and find Ed, but Rose pulled her back down.

"We have to stay here!" she told her. "We can't do anything to help them."

"Yes we can!" Winry fought. "Just because we can't fight, doesn't mean we can't help!"

Rose stared at the girl in bewilderment.

"What difference could we make in this?" she asked, and her voice crescendo'd into an angry and desperate cry. "Tell me, Winry! What difference would you or I make if we stepped in?! What could we do?!"

"WE COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH!"

Rose winced at the sudden outburst, but Winry would not let her pull away. She grabbed the broken young woman's shoulders and made her keep eye contact. She couldn't let her shy away from what needed to be done. She couldn't let her stay lost and afraid.

"We can save lives, Rose," Winry told her. "If we can warn them about Cornello and get Edward and the others out, we can be the reason people don't die."

Her eyes were wide and afraid, but they didn't stray away. The crowd's screams were growing louder, but the continuous quakes made it hard for her speculate their proximity. It didn't matter much, though; they were too close no matter what distance lied between the people and the church.

"If they get any closer, they'll get crushed," she continued. "We could stop families from being broken apart, stop lovers from meeting and untimely end."

A reaction sparked, causing her eyes fell momentarily, as though she suddenly fell ill.

A horrible tremor shook the surrounding area with such force that Winry and Rose collapsed into each other.

"Please!" Winry shouted in complete desperation. "I have to save Ed! I can't let him die!"

Debris continued to fall as Winry pleaded. Rose's expression turned flat as she listened, emulating the reaction when solving a problem or riddle that seemed so complex, but in reality, was rather simple.

"You love him, don't you?"

Winry made no response, letting her stare speak for her instead, and it was in that moment, that something changed within the young Xerxian woman.

Despite the continuing quakes, Rose found the balance to pull herself and Winry to their feet. She ran from one column to the next, getting them right in front of the doorway, and right in front of the entire city.

"I'll tell them everything," she said. "I'll get them away from here and tell them what Cornello did. You go and help Edward. Make sure you both make it out alive."

Before she let go, Rose gave Winry's arm a quick squeeze, and added, "Protect the one you love with everything you have… For me."

The fear that was once in her eyes was starting to transfigure, and for the first time, Rose looked at her like they were equals. Winry couldn't stop herself from hugging the girl before running to the doors, forcing them open with every bit of strength she had.

The last thing she heard was Rose shouting to the soldiers and crowd, before slipping back into the church.

She ran as hard as she could to the battle. The rattling walls sounded off in time with her fast beating heart. She hoped they were all still okay. She hoped _he_ was still okay.

Her feet skid across the slick floor as she took the sharp turn before entering that dreaded corridor, right into the sight of one of the horrid beasts. It bared it fangs and as it went to lung, but what once was rattling walls turned into body shaking tremors, causing the floor beneath the beast to crumble, sending it deep into blackness. Winry backed away as far as she could, completely petrified.

It was already happening. The church was going to fall in on itself at any moment.

"Winry!"

The girl looked up to see the hooded figure, the one Edward called "Hawkeye", jump across the chasm, landing only a few feet away from her, followed by the two soldiers that aided them in battle. Hir hood flung back off her face, revealing hir steely red glare.

"What are you doing here? I told you to stay where it was safe!" sie reprimanded, but Winry had no time to care about being chastised.

"The church is going to collapse!" she exclaimed. "Where is Ed? We need to get out of here!"

Hawkeye didn't seem to startle, but she could sense an anxiousness rise within hir. The soldier's helped them get to their feet, but Winry made sure to not let any of them get a good grip on her. She wasn't going to let them force her to leave.

"He's with the general," Hawkeye stated. "They went after Cornello together."

Another quake hit the area, and it hit hard. The walls had begun to crumble, and bits of the ceiling were falling in larger amounts. The tall blond soldier pulled Winry to his side before a large piece of stone bashed her head.

"We can't wait for them!" the dark-haired soldier shouted. "If we stay any longer, it'll fall down on top of us!"

"I won't leave without Ed!" Winry screamed, but the blinding light of roaring fire told her she wouldn't have to.

It was hard to see through the smoke and falling debris, but the hazy silhouettes of Edward and General Mustang could be seen coming from the high balcony.

"GO!" Mustang shouted from the great distance, and the blond soldier scooped Winry up in his arms and began to run.

"Put me down, dammit!" she cried out, but he continued to run. "Let me GO!"

It was only when they reached the entry way to the church that the soldier relinquished his hold, and Winry eagerly watched as the general came into view.

Her heart sank when Edward wasn't behind him.

"What are you waiting for? Move out!" he shouted.

"Where's Ed?" she demanded, Mustang's brow screwed together before he peering over his shoulder.

"He was right behind me!" he replied, but his face dropped when he turned to nothing.

No. This wasn't happening. She saw him running. She saw him running behind them!

Her chest began to heave rapidly. She took a slow step forward, then another, and another, until she was running back into the crumbling hall.

She could hear the group calling out for her, she even thought she felt a hand try to grab her, but she wasn't going to come back.

Edward made her a promise to take her to Dublith, and she promised him she'd help his brother. She wouldn't let those promises break, even if it meant making her way through hell to keep them.

:

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Wherever Ed was, it was silent.

He could hear no falling debris, no shouts or cries of his comrades or enemies. He couldn't even see the crumbling church that surrounded him. He was alone in a deafening quiet, surrounded by nothing but blackness.

He remembered.. falling. The staircase, it didn't hold. He was running, but not… fast enough.

Was this… death?

" _Brother._ "

Something sparked within him. From the darkness, a lanky figure appeared. It was Alphonse, smiling his mother's smile.

" _Brother, come home._ "

His voice was small, but hopeful. A small ache began to fill Ed's head, and the vision of his brother became blurry.

"Al, wait," he croaked, but his brother's smile only grew as he continued to fade.

" _Come home. I'll be waiting._ "

A sharp breath and crashing rocks brought Ed back to reality. A seething pain shot through his left leg, and he instantly remembered everything; the balcony crumbling, the staircase going with it and his leg getting caught in the fall. He forced himself up and took in the high amount of debris covering his lower body.

"Shit," he muttered, and began to dig himself out as fast as possible. He wasn't going to die here. He had too much to keep him going.

A deep, hoarse growl interrupted his escape.

Edward turned to spot a lone monster, gnashing its mighty fangs and snarling a deadly snarl.

 _Shit_ , he thought, and hastened his attempt to escape with a fervent panic. The beast was coming closer at a tauntingly low-speed, as though it knew he wouldn't make it. _Shit, shit, shit!_

The monster dug its large claws into the broken floor, pulled itself back in preparation to lung and howled, right before getting struck in the head by a large, ornately detailed candelabra. It fell with a loud thud, revealing a frightened-looking Winry holding the unlikely weapon high in above her.

"Ed!" she squeaked, and dropped the item instantly, running towards him with an unnatural speed.

"Winry," he wheezed, and smiled a goofy, lopsided grin despite the great amount of pain he was withstanding. She dropped to her hands and knees the instant she reached him, taking in the scene with shocked and worried glances. "I'm stuck"

"I can see that, dummy," she laughed, albeit with a twinge of fear, and began to help him dig. When his leg was freed enough, he clapped his hands and lifted the remaining rubble that surrounded it.

It was in bad shape; he knew there was no chance of walking.

"Let me heal you!" she blurted, but Ed remembered how faint she became when she fixed the small wound on his knuckles, and quickly batted her hands away.

"We don't have the time!" he shouted. "Help me up, I can run if I lean on you!"

Winry nodded, and helped him to his feet. They ran passed the incapacitated beast, to which Ed made sure to tell her, "Nicely done", and hurried towards the exit.

They reach the large chasm that encompassed the walkway, and Ed could tell there was no chance of them safely walking around it.

"We'll have to jump together," Edward told her, and Winry gulped. "Three, two, one— GO!"

They both launched themselves as high in the air as they possibly could. Winry landed safely, while Ed landed halfway in the chasm's mouth.

"Aaaahh, a little help here!" he panicked, and Winry grabbed his arm, pulling him as hard as she could back to solid ground. Bits of the ledge began to crumble down into the cavern, causing the both of them to shriek rather childishly as they scurried away from it.

Breathing heavily, the two began to chuckle as they stared at the gaping hole. How many times were they going to have to push their damn luck? Did they even have any left after this?

Ed watched as Winry got to her feet and offered him her hand, smiling softly down at him. He took it, and as he fumbled up and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, he thought that, perhaps, they had much more than luck on their side.

"Ready to get the hell out of here?" he asked her with a candid smirk.

Winry beamed at him as she nodded her head, but then her eyes focused on something behind him, and the light and joy that shined so brightly in her was gone.

"Winry, what's wro—"

Something smashed into the back of his head. She screamed as she tried to fight something, but Ed couldn't focus on anything, couldn't get back up to help her. Everything was going dark, and from that darkness, a high and sinister laugh echoed over Winry's cries.

"Hello, my little lotus," it said, and everything around Edward went silent and dim.

The last thing he saw was the red lotus he placed in her hair fall; its petals wilted as it landed inches from his fingertips.

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY THAT I HAVE BEEN ABSENT. Life, as well as a horrid case of writer's block, has prevented me from being able to write. BUT I'M BACK NOW!  
> Since this is my last term of school, I'll be very busy hitting the books and working on my internship project, so updates won't be weekly until mid-December, I'd suspect. I thank all the followers that have stuck with this piece over the past year. You're all so incredible! I love every review you send, and the continuing follow and favorites make writing this story even more enjoyable.


	14. Chapter 14

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At long last, he finally found his little lotus.

She squirmed strenuously in his grasp, and oh! How he loved it! It reminded him of wild cats in spring; how the females would writhe and fight the males, before ultimately giving into nature's sweet design. He pulled the precious little thing close, growling hungrily as he breathed in the scent of her hair.

"Let me _go!"_ she screamed, but Kimblee paid her whimsy little tantrum no mind. Instead, he wrapped his hands around her head and, as he ripped off the ugly monstrosity in her hair, dug his fingers deep into her pretty little scalp.

Oh! Her power was so much more invigorating when it came from touching her! His body tingled with an electric charge, soothing the aches and pains that traveling so far to capture her had caused. Her cries of agony filled the air, and Kimblee relished the sound. Oh! Her voice was so powerful; it made him want her even more.

That thought in mind, Kimblee realized he needed to set up a new little hideaway for them to nest. He sent his little beasties to pick off any left over bothers and, after another stroke of her silken hair, ravaged her head with his forceful hand and channelled her power into the very structure of the broken church.

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He tried to follow after her, but the path was falling in on itself.

"Roy, stop!" he heard Hawkeye shout, but he couldn't let the heiress to the throne be lost again.

The floor was breaking underneath their feet, but despite his better judgement to fall back, Roy tried his hardest to keep moving forward and get the girl. He jumped over a growing crevice, when suddenly he felt a shift in the pathway's energy.

The walls; they were shaking with a new kind of force. Mustang could feel something crawling through the floor, the ceiling, through _everything_.

A haunting red glow filled the hall where he, Hawkeye and his men stood, and the quaking suddenly turned into a rapid reshaping of the entire area. Debris shot by them; reconnecting with the places it had fallen and reshaping into a new, but darker surrounding. The floor shifted underneath them, and in the blink of an eye, the small team was overpowered by a giant, wave-like rise in the ground. It pushed them at an alarming speed all the way to the entrance, blasting them out of the church with the same intensity that a babe would spit out unpleasant food.

"What the devil?" Roy gasped, as he got back to his feet. He glanced over at Hawkeye, in hopes that sie and his men weren't harmed, but the look of horror in hir fiery eyes made him turn back towards the holy place.

The entire structure was emitting that damned red glow. Sparks of energy, like lightning, flashed atop its highest tower, and a deep rumbling from beneath them began to grow with every passing second.

"MOVE OUT!" Roy shouted, and everyone within the vicinity ran in a heated panic.

"Sir, what about Fullmetal and—" Fuery began, but Havoc waved him down, and for good reason.

He let the princess run away. He had her in his grasp, but he let her slip, and now she was buried deep underground. Was his mission over now?

The sound of Ishvalan tongues screaming and images of fear-stricken faces surrounded them as they watched the grand center of their city sink into the ground, as though Hell itself were swallowing it.

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Winry's senses were almost completely removed. Her mind was a pulsating fog of excruciating pain. Was she still screaming? Or was it the voices in her head? At this point, she couldn't tell anymore.

Kimblee let her fall to the ground, once he exhausted the power that he needed. The monsters, _his_ monsters, were smelling the air for something to eat. Edward was still there, she knew it. She couldn't let them get him.

Winry tried to hone her senses as best as she could. If she could find him, she could use the little bit of energy she had left to heal him, and…

She twisted her head and spotted that unmistakable splash of golden hair. She focused on that color, that warm and welcoming hue, and heaved herself towards it. She had to get to him; if she did, they'd have a fighting chance.

"A-a-ah!"

A hand grabbed at her ankle and began to drag her backward.

 _No,_ she thought. _This can't be it!_

With all the force that she had still mustered within her, she began to claw ferociously at the ground, pulling herself closer and closer to her splash of gold. Her finger tips were only inches away from him, if she could just reach a little further…

Kimblee pulled her away right as she placed her hand on Edward's wrist. She dug her nails deep into his sleeve, trying her hardest to hold on, but the man was much stronger than her.

"Hiding a little rat, are we?" he laughed, and whistled for his demented pets to come.

He was going to have them eat him. _He was going to have them eat Edward._

Thinking quickly, she ripped off his glove with her free hand and squeezed his fingers with all her might, sending a last second burst of power through him before being dragged away.

"Edward, wake up!" she screamed, still fighting to get away. "Edward!"

:

He woke with a pain in his head and his heartbeat in his ears. His entire body felt disconnected; did Winry hit him in the head again?

A high, sinister cackle stung his ears, followed by a low rumbling of animalistic growls. No, no something wasn't right.

The pounding in his head was growing stronger, and his _leg_ , it felt like a thousand needles were pricking it simultaneously.

"Edward, wake up!"

"Edward!"

Winry needed him. _Dammit, Ed. Get up!_

His eyes shot open to the hazy sight of drooling jowls and long, sharp fangs. His vision danced in and out of focus, until it landed on Winry.

She was screaming as a man dragged her away by her heels.

The unsolicited fury that overtook him burned within his very being; a primal instinct to _annihilate the son of a bitch that was causing her pain_ ensnared him, and without a second to pass, Edward clapped his hands and slammed them into the ground, launching himself at the man with no retaliation.

Beasts of a horrid form clawed and bit at him, but he did not falter. He smacked his palms together and fought back with intricate blasts from the floor and walls, jumping off their large, wolf-like bodies and leaping towards the bastard that dared to lay a hand on her.

Winry kicked herself free and scrambled to her feet. She ran to him as hard as she could, but he could tell her breath was labored; just what the hell did did that man do to her?

Ed did his best to clear the space between them. They were so close; all he needed to do was grab her, and they could run. They'd figure a way out together.

But the man was much faster than either of them. Within moments, he snatched Winry by the neck, and shoved a blade right through her middle. Her eyes were so wide and full of fear, it caused Ed to freeze in his tracks.

The beasts were on him only seconds after; snatching him by the hair as they pulled him away.

"Don't," Winry spat, blood trickling from the corners of her curved little mouth. "Don't.. kill.. him… _please_."

She fell faint in the bastard's arms, and Edward lost it.

"Winry!"

The son of a bitch's face dropped as Ed tried his damnedest to fight himself free of the beasts' hold.

"Winry, listen to me!" he shouted. The chimeras ripped and clawed him as they dragged him back, but his relentlessness did not waver. "We're going to get out, you hear?! I promise! We're going to get out and _go home_!"

A sharp hit to the head brought him back to the blackness from which he woke.

:

Kimblee was stunned. Never had he seen such fight in a human before! No wonder his little lotus had gotten feisty; that rat of a boy must have been a bad, bad influence. It made Kimblee want to tear him apart with his own bare hands.

His power; it was not one to be taken lightly. He could use alchemy without a transmutation circle. He knew he wasn't using his lotus' power, the smell of the air becomes perfumed with her scent. No, he did it with a clap of his hands. That was a talent he had only seen once before… but when? His mind was too muddled, too high off his lotus' blood to remember. The only thing that rang clear in his head was his need to get away with her and make sure nothing like this ever happened again.

The chimeras circled the boy's body hungrily, but he couldn't let them eat. Not when his lotus asked so sweetly for them not to, and not when he needed to give him a nice little beating.

He swiped a drop of blood from his precious girl's mouth, and ran his hand across the stony wall, creating a set of chains to wrap around the boy's hands. Kimblee couldn't have him clapping away, especially after the stunt he just pulled.

"Take him to a far away chamber," he ordered, and his beasties did as they were told.

He cradled dear Winry in his arms, savoring the way her chest heaved so deeply when unconscious.

"I have much more important matters to tend to."

:

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"Sinners, all of you!"

"Look what you've done!"

"Leave our city at once!"

Mustang and his men stood surrounded by the angry citizens of Liore. They spat and tossed rocks and rotten food as they began to pursue them. Breda moved to unsheathe his sword, but Roy stopped him with a wave of his hand.

"We are not to strike down innocent civilians," he ordered, and, though he was left uneasy and reluctant, the soldier obeyed.

"Leave them _alone_!"

The crowd faltered as Rose ran in front of Mustang's men, arms spread out as though she were a human shield. Roy was surprised to see how quickly they fell in line for this girl; he did not expect her to be of a great importance to these citizens, and he was thankful that she seemed to be an ally.

"These people saved my life," she explained, and paused before swallowing back nerves. "It was Cornello that did this."

The crowd was in disbelief.

"Surely, you're mistaken!" a man cried.

Rose eyed him down and shook her head. "I am not. H-he used me, tried to have me kill an innocent girl."

A forlorn look swept her features, before she stabilized her stance and bravely took a step toward the crowd. "That man and religion we all worshipped was a lie. His miracles were nothing but alchemy."

Mustang expected them to revolt; to accuse this woman of treachery and assault them, but they stood by and listened to every word she spoke.

"I followed his teachings so loyally," he heard Rose continue, "and to see that my-no, _our_ devotion was nothing but a pawn for him to gain power, it sickens me. We are not pawns. We are people, and as people, we have the power to keep moving and help each other!"

It was remarkable, how they accepted her words as fact. Roy found it inspirational, and also frightening. The people of this city, this country, rely so deeply on a single figure head that they abandon the old and accept that new with no remorse. They were so easily swayed, it wasn't surprising how much blood had been split by their undying loyalty.

This girl, Rose, though, spoke of a type of independence that they mostly never had. He hoped their willingness to follow her and her teachings could transfigure into a willingness to think for themselves.

Riza placed a hand on the blade of his shoulder, and cued him that they should fall back. He nodded in agreement, and put the order through with a wave to his men. Rose had the city controlled, which meant he need to switch his focus to the missing church.

They scanned the area closely, looking for some kind of clue to explain the disappearance, but there was nothing. How could this have happened?

Mustang stared at a barren spot in the city's center, still in complete disbelief. It was gone, all of it. Not a single trace was left behind, only sand and-

The ground. He noticed the ground was detailed with fine, but familiar scrapes. He analyzed the clean, parallel linings embedded within the dirt, when he felt Riza's presence beside him.

"Roy," sie whispered, and he knew sie could see it, too. "You don't think…"

"I do," he stated. "I don't know how, but this was done with alchemy."

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She woke up in a dark and empty room, in clothing she did not recognize.

Her arms and hands were covered in a dense, tight fabric. She tried to rip it off by pulling at her sleeves and biting the the ends near her fingers, but it seemed it was sewn into her constricting and impossibly heavy dress.

Winry did not like this. Not one bit.

"Ed?" she called, but only silence answered. "Edward, can you hear me?"

She waited and waited, but he didn't respond.

From the far side of the room, a door began to rumble in his place.

"Ed?" she whispered, as her heart jumped to her throat; she hoped so desperately that it was him.

But it was Kimblee who entered, with wild eyes and a smile that bore a haunting resemblance to a monster from a distant nightmare.

"Ah, you're awake."

He moved to her slowly, like a snake slinking through grass. Winry kicked at the ground between them, pushing herself as far back to the wall as she could.

"No!"

Kimblee steadied his predatory approach and hung is head deeply to the side, still smiling that devil-like grin. "No?"

Her body trembled with fear, but she hardened her face and glared defiantly at the man that ruled over her for the entirety of her existence. "My answer is no."

"Your ans—" he began, then burst into a heinous fit of laughter. "Oh! You think you have a _choice_!"

Winry grimaced as his laughter turned dark and taunting, shrinking into herself as the sound filled the tiny, empty room. He was too loud, it made her insides sting.

In an instant, Kimblee slammed a hand into the wall beside her; his face only inches away from hers.

"No matter how much you fight," he seethed, "no matter how far you try to run or how much you reject me, you are _mine_ , and you always will be."

Winry felt the feebleness in her begin to grow, that initial reaction to draw back and accept his word as law, but she was not that broken little girl anymore. "NO!"

She held nothing back as she reared in both legs and blasted them into Kimblee's middle, knocking him back several feet. "I'm not yours, I _never_ was yours!"

Kimblee slowly lifted himself from his dilapidated stance, coughing up small trickles of blood. He glowered through a veil of his oily, black hair, and lunged at her with enough force to thrust her hard into the wall. He wrapped a hand tightly around her neck, and flexed each finger deeply into her skin.

"You stupid… little… girl."

The pressure caused her to choke on her ragged breaths. She dug her nails into his arm as he continued to squeeze her tiny little neck, and tried to scream.

"E- _eh-_ E- _eh-_ ED _!"_ she wailed. "ED _-eh_ -WARD!"

Kimblee's wild eyes grew wide as she fought, and he buried his face in the crook of her neck, smelling her deeply. He pulled back slowly, scowling so deeply his face no longer looked human.

"You fancy him."

Her blood went cold and his eyes turned to soulless pits of black.

"I can smell it on you."

Her strength failed her in that very moment. He couldn't know that. If he did, he'd kill Edward for certain. She shook her head vigorously as her eyesight blurred from tears, but he wasn't fooled.

He let her drop to the floor as though she were filth, muttering and growling obscenities as he walked in obstructed circles.

"I'll beat him…..skin him….rip him apart…."

"No," Winry pleaded, holding her bruised throat. "No, please."

Kimblee's glare was as lethal as venom, causing her to whimper more the longer he stared. His rage was making him even more unstable, and, with a low and horrid growl, he bolted towards the door with what Winry knew was a fiery intent to harm Ed.

"Please don't hurt him," she begged, and in that moment, she forgot to fight for herself, and thought only of her beloved friend. "I'll.. I'll do anything, whatever you want. Just don't kill him, please."

He paused for a moment, then stormed out, locking the door as he went. Winry rested herself against the wall slowly, shock over taking her.

After all that running, all the promises she made and the freedom she would have had, she still ended up giving her word to that horrid man. She raked her fingers against the floor as she cried, wondering if Kimblee would even honor her wish. Would Edward still be alive by the time he came back for her? Would she ever see him again?

She stared numbly at the lines she made in the ground, twirling her fingers in the loose dirt, and screamed as she curled into herself, feeling hopeless, empty, and all alone. She would never get to see Dublith, never get to meet the beautiful people Edward spoke of so fondly, and she would never get to see the snow on top of those mountains….

Her fingers stopped moving when realized she was making circles in the ground. The mountains…

Winry sat up abruptly and erased the markings she had made, and, with shaking hands, began to desperately draw familiar patterns in the dirt.

:

He was right to think of him as a little rat. The boy was nothing but a dirty little thief, coming into his home unwanted and taking what was his, infecting it with his scent.

Kimblee slammed his hands into the statues and walls in the dark and narrow hall. How did he ensnare her? Was it that promise of home that corrupted his lotus? Were his words enough to lead her on, or did he expose her to new, more manipulative ways of making her obey?

He pulled at his hair and snarled vehemently as he ripped a suit of armor from its place, letting the clanking metal fill his head and drown out all those pesky, dirty thoughts. Why did he want her? He didn't sense her power in him, so what other use could she be to him?

He reached deep into his shirt and pulled out a dingy old pocket watch. It smelled just like his lotus, but it did not harness her power. It was nothing, but a useless little trinket. Was this thing a gift? Did he swindle by playing to her mechanical intrigue? He quickly hid it away, and started towards the boy's chamber.

He couldn't kill him yet, but he would make the boy suffer for stealing what was his.

:

The son of a bitch chained his hands at too great of a distance for him to use his alchemy, but that wasn't enough to stop him. He pulled against them with all his might, letting his determination fuel his dire need to be free.

All he could think about was Winry. Was she okay? Was that bastard hurting her? It was eating away at him that he didn't know. He had to help her. She needed him right now more than anything.

Something bashed against the door on the adjacent wall. Edward watched the door with a prepared eye, hoping it was the bastard that locked him in there. With a loud crash, that very man stormed into the room.

"Where is Winry?!" he shouted, but the man wasn't looking to answer questions.

The speed in which he moved to get to Ed was nearly blinding. He didn't have time to react before the son of a bitch was blasting him with a hard hook to the jaw, and the barrage of attacks didn't stop. If he didn't know that it was a man striking him, he would have thought he was being torn apart by a wild animal.

"What did you do, huh?!" he roared. "How did you get in? How did you get her to come with you?"

The final blow to his head nearly knocked Edward unconscious. His head dangled as the man backed away and paced back and forth in front of him. He thought he might throw up, but bruised insides weren't enough to make him comply with the bastard.

"Tell me, what did you do to make her leave," he seethed, still pacing rapidly like a savage creature, but Ed did not answer. Instead, he glowered at the man with every bit of intensity that he could.

"You were her protector, weren't you?"

The man chuckled, and a smirk twisted his thin mouth as it turned to chaotic laughter.

"How perceptive of you," he sneered, and moved towards him.

Edward could feel bile burning the back of his throat, but it wasn't caused by the ache in his stomach. It was caused by the way the son of a bitch's eyes glazed over when thinking about Winry.

"You sick bastard."

The man stopped only inches away from his face, but Ed didn't falter. He continued to glower vehemently, wishing desperately that his hands were free. Oh, how he'd love to pulverize this disgusting, twisted waste.

"She trusted you," he continued, rage oozing from each syllable, "and you betrayed her!"

The man's smile was so animalistic, he looked as though he were snarling. "Betrayed, you say? I'd like to think I was giving her what every woman _really_ wants."

He got closer, Ed could feel his breath against the skin of his cheek. "See, I know that deep, deep down, Winry would have accepted my love. Why, had you not broken into our little nest, I'm sure we'd be consummating our marriage," he crept to his ear, and whispered, "right now."

Edward's stomach sank, and he thrashed his arms wildly against the disgusting son of a bitch. "You were like a father to her, you _twisted_ —"

A hard hit to the side of the face cut him off, and the man cackled as he started to vomit.

"What use do you have of her?" the man barked. "Was it, perhaps, something she took?"

Edward tried to catch his breath, when the clanking of a chain caught his attention. He looked up to see the silver pocket watch. It was scratched, dented and dirty, but it was right there, hanging before him.

"I found this while tracking my lotus' trail," he said, twining the chain between his fingers. "She must've had it on her person for some time."

He brought the watch under his nose, and inhaled deeply. "It's smells just like her."

"Stop it!" Edward shouted, but the man didn't listen.

Instead, he flung the watch at his feet and stood before him; the darkness in his eyes was even more prominent as he smelled the air between them, completely void of anything but hate. "Oh, I see."

One look between them seemed to signal something in the man's demented head. "Is the trinket what you wanted, or was it the body that kept it warm?"

Edward spat in his face, and another beating commenced. He knew bones had been broken as the bastard backed away, but he didn't let his pain overtake him.

"You can beat me all you want," he panted, as the man started towards the door, "it doesn't matter what you do to me. I'm not leaving without her."

The man looked back at him, and the longer he stared, the less like a human he appeared. "Oh, I know it doesn't matter what I do to you. You're too strong to let anything affect you that way."

He walked backwards towards the exit, licking his lips wickedly. "Now Winry, on the other hand…."

The way he wistfully spoke her name, as if she were some object, made Edward cringe. He was prepared to take whatever torture an enemy could throw at him. He could be within inches of death and endure it, but Winry? No, there was no way in hell he'd let that monster bring her harm.

"If you hurt one hair on her head, I'll—"

"You'll what?" he taunted, and opened the chamber door as he smiled that sadistic, snarl-like grin. "Tell me, boy. How will it affect you, when you finally hear all the horrible things I plan do to her?"

The door closed as Edward's eyes widened in horror over his sudden realization.

He loved Winry; he loved her with a fervency that his heart and mind could not fathom. How he didn't realize it before, he had no idea, and worst of all: that bastard _knew_.

Edward began to thrash and flail in a dire attempt to break his chains once more. Only this time, it was fear that fueled his need to escape.

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	15. Chapter 15

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She could hear him coming.

His footsteps were loud, but terrifyingly casual. The sound of growing confidence was apparent in each stride, and it made her body shake with fear.

Her heartbeat was racing painfully fast, her chest vibrated with a fear-induced adrenaline that emulated the quaking that followed each one of Kimblee's quick paces.

He was close, so very close, and she wanted to vomit. The steps went silent, and the door to her prison swung open. The blackness of the hall hid him, but she could feel his presence, sense him watching her as she sat immobile.

It was like a scene from a nightmare; the way he strode into the room with a dark need in his eyes, and it made her want to scream.

But this wasn't going to be a nightmare. No, not for her.

Winry's hand hovered over the transmutation circle, hidden behind her back, as he slid his way to her with a hauntingly slow pace.

"Hello, lotus."

She didn't respond, only scowled as he towered over her.

"Come now," he oozed, trying his best to smooth over his frustration the same way he did when she was young. "Why are you being so hurtful? I'm not the one that ran away like a petty child."

There it was; that reversal tactic he has always used with her, punishing and blaming her for responding to his disgusting actions the way any normal person would, conditioning her to be his perfect little pet. She felt sick listening to it, and even more when her first thought was to react in the way he'd want.

But she wasn't going to comply. Not anymore.

"No," Winry said coldly. "You're the one that tried to force yourself on me; made me believe that everything in this world was wicked, when in reality, the only wicked thing was you."

Kimblee's attempt at a calm façade was cracking. His neck was straining as he tried to keep his jaw shut, his nostrils flared as he took in deep breaths. "Harsh words coming from the girl who begged me to spare her little rat."

She cringed at the mention of her dear friend, and turned her head away. "He has a name."

"A name that no longer matters," he jeered, and crept closer. "You promised me anything, little lotus. I expect you know what I desi—"

"How do I know you kept your promise?" she interjected, shifting her knees so he could not see the patterns etched into the ground. Though, due to his manic and ill state of mind, Winry doubted he would have paid any heed to it. She could tell he was slipping; the look in his eye was crazed and soulless.

"Trust me," he said through gritted teeth.

Winry let out a dissatisfied chuckle.

"Trust you?" she mimicked, and her scowl deepened.

Kimblee began to pace, impulsively fidgeting in rigorous and painful looking ways. She needed to make him mad, make him come at her in his blinded state of mind.

"I trusted you my entire life," she began, her hand inches away from the alchemic engraving. "You were my conscious; every word you said was law to me, but now I know you were nothing more than a liar. Your words were knives that scarred me. You and your actions were the very things I should have feared!"

In an instant, he snapped. The wildness in his eyes had become completely feral; any sign of humanity that might have once been there was lost as he plunged into complete madness.

"Bite your tongue, you little-"

Kimblee grabbed the collar of her dress and raised his hand to strike, but Winry was ready for it. She screamed as she slammed her palm against the transmutation circle. The air around them turned electric; vibrant red sparks ignited from the palms of her hands and, within moments, she grasped the small rock statue she had formed and smashed it into the side of Kimblee's head. He fell beside her with a hollow 'thud', blood beginning to trickle from a cut upon his temple.

She wasted no time gaping at the man who had once been her protector, as he lied on the floor bleeding. Instead, she shot to her feet and, as she heaved each breath and forced herself not to get sick, ran out the door, making sure to close it behind her.

"Edward!" she shouted, as she backed away from her prison. "Edward, can you hear me?!"

Without direction, she ran down the barren halls calling his name, hoping to find him somewhere in that maze of twists and turns, and find him _alive_.

:

:

He couldn't move anymore. His wounds had grown beyond the spectrum of pain and right into complete immobility. His insides were on the verge of dead, and his eyesight was fading.

The bastard's words never left him. They haunted the very depths of his mind as he ripped at the chains, screamed as he tried to break his thumbs and pull his wrists free to no prevail, and whispered menacingly in his heart as his body collapsed.

Somewhere in this underground hell, that man was doing god knows what to her, and he could do nothing to stop him. He was broken, hopeless, _useless_ …

Despite all his power, strength, and ingenuity, he could not escape this one trap. He couldn't defeat this one obstacle that stood before him.

He couldn't save one innocent girl.

Something echoed through the halls and crept in through the cracks in the door. It was a faint cry. Edward shuttered as he heard it, thinking the worst.

The cry grew louder, and louder, and Ed could feel his throat constrict as his heart began to ache. God, he couldn't keep listening. He wanted to make it stop. Why couldn't he make it stop?!

The sound of growing footsteps began to reverberate, and the cries turned to words, or, more specifically, one.

"Edward!"

His head shot up. That voice, _her_ voice.

"Edward, can you hear me?!"

This was a dream. It had to be. There was no way…

"- _damn it-_ Edward, where are you?!"

A shadow danced across the floor of his chamber. The sound of light, but fast-paced steps grew loud, then faint as they moved onward through the underground hall.

"Win-" he choked, and a coughing fit took the last of her name.

The footsteps went silent. "Edward?"

_She heard him._

"Winry!" he cried out, albeit hoarsely and hardly to the volume he could usually reach.

Shadows danced across the floor once more, and the door to his prison flung open. Winry stood before him disheveled and winded, but she was alive. She was alive and well, shining in that darkness like the brightest star in the night sky.

"Ed!"

She ran into the room, falling to her knees before him as she took in the sight of his beaten, bloodied condition. He stared at her in awe; his blood felt reignited as her gloved fingers breezed across his marred skin, and he felt his senses come alive again as her warmth radiated on to him.

"Oh god," she heaved, her eyes glistening with tears. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"You're okay," he managed to speak, though his throat cut the words to a charred murmur. "How did you-"

Winry placed a hand against his cheek, and he quieted.

"You were right," she smiled, despite trails of tears running down to her chin, "those little statues really _do_ hurt."

He tried to laugh, though it ended up as a cough, and Winry quickly began to look over his chains.

"I don't have a key, o-or anything to break these," she stammered, and Ed shook his head.

"Alchemy," he said. "Use alchemy."

"I don't know the right transmutation to-" she began, and a scream rang through the halls.

Both of them stared out at the open door in fear.

"He's coming!"

Heartbeat racing, Ed tried to formulate a plan.

"Heal me," he told her, thinking as he spoke. "I'll try to channel your power into a transmutation."

"O-okay!"

She held his face and closed her eyes, but nothing happened.

"Oh no," she whimpered, and tried to pull at the gloves on her arms.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked. "Why can't you-"

A horrid, scraping sound jerked both of their attention to the door way.

It was Kimblee.

He looked like a monster as he glowered from the doorway; hunched over in an inhuman form, and covered in blood. Winry's eyes were wide and beyond the status of fear as she gripped the bit of his shirt that managed to stay in tact. This was it; they had no other chances of survival except for these few fleeting moments.

 _C'mon Ed, think!_ he screamed internally. _THINK, DAMN IT!_

.. and then it clicked. That first night together, when she healed his burned arm, and mended his bloodied hand. Neither of those times were their skin covered when they touched. When the bastard groped the bare length of her neck, and channeled her power, his hands weren't gloved.

_The power could only be conducted when skin met skin._

His hands were too far to touch her, and the only bit of flesh exposed was that of her face. How the hell could he….

Winry moved closer to him as Kimblee lunged to attack, and it was in that moment, that Ed realized how he could save them both.

_The power could only be conducted when skin met skin._

He looked from the monster to the girl who was tightly grasping his tattered shirt, with her large fear-filled eyes and quivering lips. He had to act now; this was their only chance.

"Winry."

She turned to him, right as he moved in, and—

Ed could feel the blossoming of indescribable, arcane power tingle his teeth and soar through his blood the moment his mouth met hers. Time stood still as his bones mended, wounds closed, and muscles fired up with a vitality that he had never in his life held. He felt like he could transcend the limits of the human body, the longer his lips stayed connected to hers.

Her power was their salvation, but her kiss had just become his heaven.

Kimblee's hands began to wrap around the tops of Winry's arms, right as Edward grasped his chains, and sent a current of mystic energy through them, shattering them completely.

He ripped her from his monstrous clutches in seconds, pulling her in his arms as he flung their upper bodies towards the ground and catapulted his legs in the air, as though he were performing a sideways handspring, and sent a blindingly-fast kick right to the bastard's jaw. He landed the attack with a stomp to the ground, jolting him and Winry to a standing position.

"C'mon!" Ed shouted, and together, they ran from his prison-like chamber, paying no heed to the red sparks charging the air around Kimblee.

They ran down the hall in a frenzied panic. Edward held Winry's hand tightly, refusing to let it go so long as they were in that hellish place, and by the way she gripped his own hand, he knew she felt the same way.

The door to Edward's cell blew off its hinges, eliciting a horrified scream from Winry. The sound echoed through the halls, causing a stirring to begin within the shadows far beyond their field of vision. Red and yellow eyes began to peer at them from the distant darkness, snarls reverberating towards them as Kimblee's screams trailed after them from behind.

"Son of a bitch," he muttered. _They were surrounded._

Edward took a desperate look at his surroundings. There was nothing to use as a weapon; only anointing oil outside of the rooms, busted suits of armor, and.. torches! Thinking quickly, he kicked a large container of oil down the hall, creating a long and slippery trail. He snatched a large armored chest piece from the ground, pulled him and Winry inside of it, and, with a clap of his hands, smacked the ground and catapulted them through the growing crowd of chimeras.

Winry screamed as they sped past thrashing claws and gnashing teeth, clinging to Edward for dear life as they made sharp turns and swiveled across the stony floor, while Ed did his best to keep the armor stabilized. They bounced and skid through the halls as the alchemic reaction destroyed the floor behind them. He steered the chest piece into as many of the oil containers as possible, keeping their trail slick and helping them keep a high-speed. The ruptured ground prevented the beasts from getting close to them, so that by the time they reached the end of their ride, neither Kimblee or the chimeras could catch up to them.

The chest piece hit the bottom step of a stair case, and, as he pulled himself and Winry from the armor, Edward grabbed one of the many torches that lit the hallway and flung it at the crumbled path, setting the oil on fire and further preventing anyone from following them.

He could see monsters coming as the flames spread, but wasted no time staying there and making sure they couldn't follow. He grabbed Winry's hand again and began to run up the spiraling steps.

A sinking feeling hit his stomach as they made their way to the next floor. The windows were gone; now all they could see was dark ceilings and ominous paths twisting and winding in different directions.

"He put us underground again," Winry whispered. "I know it."

"Then we've got to get to the highest point and dig our way out," Ed exclaimed, and pulled her to side. "Do you think you can do it?"

Winry nodded, and Edward clapped his hands and touched the ground again, causing the floor underneath them to elevate to the ceiling. Winry shrieked and wrapped herself around Edward's waist, causing him to smirk.

…But his face quickly dropped the moment he saw smoke rise from the staircase, followed by the darkened silhouette of a man. How in the hell was that bastard able to follow them?! Once he could touch the top of the room, he clapped again and created an opening to the next level.

"Jump off!" he shouted, and they both leaped from the growing pedestal just as a powerful alchemic surge caused it to burst into pieces.

Bits of the rubble struck the back of Edward's head as he sat up, immediately looking to his side for Winry.

"Are you okay?" he asked, but she didn't respond. "Winry?"

"I… I can't," she began, but a blast sounded off from below, and within seconds, Kimblee's blood-stained figure emerged.

Edward didn't bother see if Winry could walk. Immediately, he sent a surge of alchemic force towards the monster of a man, knocking him off his feet, scooped Winry up in his arms, and began to run.

If he could figure out where the main corridor was, he could make another staircase to the higher level, and get back to the bell tower. He could make a tunnel to the surface, and they could escape. He just had to be faster than Kimblee, smarter and more cunning.

Another blast sounded off behind them, and Edward adjusted his arms around Winry, clapped, and slammed his hands against the wall, creating a barrier in the hall to slow the bastard down. He made a few more and continued on, spotting the large, ornate doors that would lead them to their freedom.

He kicked the doors open and ran inside, spotting the renewed balcony from afar. He ran to the altar and clapped again, but a blast from behind threw him off course and into the air. Winry flew out of Ed's arms, landing several feet away from him with an awful thud. He hastily crawled to her side, and turned to spot Kimblee standing in the doorway.

"Oh, WINRYY!" he hollered, his voice curdled and torn. He slammed his hands against the ground as he walked, sending red sparks through the ground and exploding at Ed and Winry's feet.

"You've been a _very naughty girl_!"

Ed let out a panicked gasp as the man crept closer, almost tauntingly slow. Lifting Winry into his arms once more, he smacked the ground and created a staircase beside the balcony. He climbed the steps as fast as he could manage, but Kimblee sent another explosion at them, destroying the very foundation underneath Ed's feet. With one hand, he gripped the balcony's railing with all his might, and held on to Winry with the other. She screamed as Kimblee moved closer to them, clinging to him desperately as the bastard bared his snarl-like grin at her.

"I've been patient with you," Kimblee seethed, now only a small distance from where they dangled, "but I'm growing tired of you," and sent a blast to the balcony, "and your _little_ rat!"

Edward's fear quickly transfigured into blinding anger.

"Fuck you!" he shouted, as he swung out of the way of the blasts, sliding down the railing as fast as he could without losing his grip. With a quick jolt, Ed bounced his feet off the bottom of the balcony and flipped him and Winry over the railing and on to solid ground. He then clapped his hands to the floor and alchemized a large, stony fist from the wall and sent it straight into Kimblee's side.

Winry stared in complete shock as the attack unfolded, then deadpanned as she turn to Ed.

"Really?" she began, as she shakily got to her own feet. "Of all the things he's said, _that_ gets to you?"

Ed snorted as he helped her stand. "I'm not little."

The giant fist exploded, and Ed quickly wrapped an arm around Winry's waist as they began to run.

He couldn't remember which way to go. Each twist and turn felt foreign, and, despite him remembering the exact passage that led to the tower, he simply couldn't recall which turns led to that specific path. Just how did he and Mustang get to that tower again?

The sound of Kimblee's blasts was going louder and louder as they ran, and the fear that consumed him before was starting creep back into his bones. This was a game of cat and mouse, and he, unfortunately, was the prey.

A wrong turn took him to a dead-end. Edward muttered a curse as he swiveled to retrace his steps, until Kimblee's shadow came into view. Swiftly, he pulled Winry and himself into a small, dark crevice in the wall.

"What's wro-" Winry began, but he covered her mouth with his hand.

He signaled with his eyes that something was in the hall, and she placed one of her own hands against her lips as she leaned into Ed's chest for comfort.

An eerie hum crept through the narrow passage. The shadows swimming across the walls and floor began to quake and move in a haunting way with the tune. Edward looked around them, hoping to find a weapon of some sort, but saw nothing. _Shit._ What the hell would they do now? They came too damn far to fail! They had to get out!

The ghostly key in which Kimblee hummed caused Edward's nerves to spike, like needles. He was getting too damn close. Winry clenched his shirt tightly, and he wrapped an arm around her.

The steps stopped.

Edward held his breath, hoping he'd turn around and continue his search elsewhere. They sat in that terrifying silence, him holding Winry as she tried to hold in whimpers, and trying his hardest not to let his panicked heart get the best of him.

They had stood there for so long, he began to wonder if the sounds he heard were all in his head. He let out a breath slowly, and moved to look out—

A hand grabbed his shirt and threw him against a wall.

"Hello, _rat_."

Edward coughed as Kimblee's hand tightened around his neck, but before the man could unleash his deadly alchemy, Winry came from behind and swung a hard punch into his jaw, knocking him back. Edward quickly dropped to the ground, and Winry grabbed him, helping him to his feet.

"Thanks," he muttered, and they began to run again.

"This way!" Winry cried, and pulled Ed down a new path.

"Why this way?!" he shouted.

"Because all of your ways have been wrong!" she exclaimed, but before Ed could rebuttal, Kimblee blasted through a wall in front of them.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Ed screamed, and sent a large piece of the floor into the man's middle. "This way!"

They continued to run down various halls, until Ed spotted the small, tucked away passage that led to that damned spiral staircase.

"Winry, here!"

He pulled her to the small entry way, barely avoiding another violent explosion from the bastard. They bolted up the spiraling steps, the fear of the ground crumbling underneath their feet fueling their increasing speed, but the higher they went, the more dirt they found blocking their way.

Edward clapped his hands and tried to form a solid tunnel, but there was too much earth crumbling through the transmutation.

"Shit!" Edward spat, as he tried to make another tunnel, only to have it fall. "Shit, shit, shit!"

"Ed, he's coming!" Winry cried, and the sound of fast-paced running boomed from the staircase. Edward quickly created a thick barricade around the entryway, and turned back to Winry.

"We have to go!" she panicked, and grabbed the sleeve of Edward's shirt. "We have to go now!"

Yet, Edward did not budge.

"Win!" he called, and she paused her fretting at the sound of her name.

"I can't keep him from getting in," he warned, taking her hand in his, "and I can't keep the tunnels from collapsing on us."

A horribly loud explosion came from the other side of the barricade.

Winry whimpered as another went off, and Edward clenched his fists as he tried to come up with another plan.

"Ed," Winry said, the sound of a break-through in her voice. "Kiss me."

His face immediately turned bright red. "Wh-wh-what?!"

She rolled her eyes and tugged at the collar of his shirt. "Kiss me and channel my power, dummy!"

The barricade was starting to quake. The two turned to look as the walls began to shake, then suddenly, a hole blasted through it and Kimblee's silhouette began to form through the smoke. Edward and Winry scurried back towards the attempted tunnel, and fell against the dirt.

"HURRY UP, YOU IDIOT!" she shouted, pounding her fist against his chest.

"Ow-ow-okay!" he stammered, and, as Kimblee made his way towards them, Edward quickly slammed his lips against hers.

The surge of power he felt was as remarkable as the first time. If he ever got the chance to do this outside of near death situations, he could easily find himself kissing her at any opportune moment. Without breaking contact with her, Ed slammed his hands against the loose earth and formed a small tunnel. Kimblee tried to grab hold of them, but he blasted him away and scrambled into the escape route.

The air was stale and lessening as they continued to climb their way to the surface, Winry's panting grew frantic, and Edward grabbed hold of her before she passed out from over-exertion.

"We've got to be getting close," her told her, before her eyes closed. "Just stay with me, okay?"

A rumbling began to grow through the dark and dangerous tunnel, and Edward's heart dropped.

_The son of a bitch was right on their tail._

Ed began to crawl with haste, panting as he tried to accelerate his speed. A dry and heinous cackle sounded off right behind him, and something grabbed at his ankle.

"Shit, no!" he shouted, and kicked at the bastard with all his might.

"You won't escape!" he screamed, his eyes large and horrifying, like a monster that a child would dream of at night hiding under their bed. "You're going to die here!"

The dirt around them began to loosen as they struggled to fight. Edward slammed his foot into the bastard's face, and moved away with every bit of energy he had.

"You're mine! You're mine! YOU CAN'T LEAVE!"

"Fuck you!" Ed shouted, his mouth and eyes becoming covered in earth as it began to fall in on them.

The tunnel was starting to end, but there was no sunlight ahead. Edward began to thrash through the dirt with all his strength, cursing and panting on the little air left, as he tried to reach freedom.

Kimblee grabbed his ankle again, and dug his nails deep into his skin.

"YOU'RE NEVER LEAVING!" he screamed, and ripped at the boy's leg.

Ed let out an agonizing wail as he tried to keep moving, but Kimblee dragged him down towards the underground church as he teared away at his flesh and bone.

In a last attempt to escape, Edward clapped his hands together and slammed them down on the dirt underneath him, deconstructing the space around them. Kimblee stopped his attack momentarily as the tunnel began to quake vigorously, giving Ed the perfect opportunity to scurry away as fast as possible.

"Little rat! Little rat!" he called after, as he followed close behind.

Edward clapped against the ground again, causing more earth to fall around them. He held on to Winry as tightly as he possibly could, all while digging with his free hand as he tried to distance himself from the deranged and horrifying monster of a man.

The dirt finally began to feel warm, and soon, sand was filling the crumbling tunnel. Ed struggled to climb through the sinking desert earth, but did his damnedest to make it to the surface.

With a jolt and hoarse gasp, Edward broke through the final layer of sand and reached the surface.

"Fullmetal!" he heard Mustang call, and _never_ did he think he'd be happy to hear that bastard's voice again.

The general and his men ran to him, pulling Winry from his arms and helping lift them out of the hole. She started to gain consciousness as Mustang and a blond man began to help him out, but something latched onto Ed's leg again.

"COME BACK!" the monster wailed, only his eyes being visible in the darkness of the tunnel. "GIVE ME BACK MY LOTUS!"

Edward kicked and flailed his leg with all his might, but Kimblee refused to let go.

"Edward!" Winry shouted, and jerked away from safety to grab a hold of his hands, as he slipped deeper into the gaping fissure.

"Stand aside!" Mustang shouted, and snapped his fingers, sending a blast of fire into the blackened pit, causing Kimblee to let go and fall back into the darkness of his underground prison.

Winry pulled Edward out of the hole and dove into his arms, sobbing hard into the curve of his neck. Hawkeye was beside them in an instant, removing hir own cloak and wrapping it protectively around the young girl, as well as him. Ed tried to mouth a 'thank you', but the action was lost to him as Winry's grip on his shoulders grew stronger. He wrapped his hands around her tightly, staring blankly at the black opening in the earth.

 _They did it. They survived_.

Ed let out a small laugh as he gaped at the monument of their escape. A lightness burst within his chest, eradicating the fear and anxiety that overtook him as they fought for their lives in that underground hell.

Riza bent down to his side, and smiled softly. "We need to go. It's a long journey from here to Dublith."

Edward gaped at hir over Winry's shuddering head. "You mean.. You're really going to help us?"

Sie made no move to comment, but he could tell by the warmth in hir expression that his answer was 'yes'.

Edward coddled Winry closer, and buried his face in her hair.

"It's okay," he told her, placing a hand atop her head. "He's gone now. It's all over. We can go home."

Her crying didn't lessen, but Edward didn't mind, so long as she was safe and in his grasp.

:

:

Kimblee staggered out of the dirt and down the stairwell, wailing in pain like a wounded animal.

That damned little rat. Him and the other pests got away with his precious lotus..

He snarled and howled into the blackness of the church, his cries reverberating off the high ceilings and stone walls.

How was he going to get her back now? His beasties… They were all gone. He didn't have a stone anymore. How would be break free?

"Hello, Kimblee."

A cold shiver erupted through the mad man's body. Slowly, he peered over his should to see the silhouette of an adolescent boy.

"Tybalt?" he whispered.

The boy chuckled darkly. "'Tybalt', I haven't heard that name in many years…"

He walked casually towards Kimblee, the blackness of the hall following him as he moved closer and closer.

"What…" the man muttered. "What do you want?"

"What I want," the boy began, the darkness around him twisting into tentacle like entities. "You no longer seem to have."

Kimblee fell backwards, staring in horror that the darkness that was swarming him.

"Accept that you are going to die, Kimblee," he stated simply, "and tell me everything I want to know."

The tentacles began to split into deranged mouths and large, horrible eyes. Kimblee let out a small laugh, and it grew louder and louder until forming into a shrill cackle.

"Oh, death!" he shouted. "Old friend! It seems you've finally come for me! After all the years that I gave you sustenance, you turned to bite the hand that fed you! How poetic!"

The boy stood before him, unenthused as the razor-like fangs snapped at the man wildly. Kimblee's laughter resonated through the entire church, though no one was there to hear it, but him and the child he once knew as, 'Tybalt'.

"I wonder," the boy whispered, as the dark entities began to wrap around the man. "how did you manage to get the stone?"

The sharp teeth of the winding black monstrosity began to scrape across Kimblee's marred skin, causing him to scream out in pain and morbid laughter. "Stone?! HA! I don't know what you're talking about!"

The boy's eyes shrank in distaste. "Lying is not going to help you in this matter, Kimblee."

"All the delicious power I've ever had," he panted, cackling between words with every cut the monster left on him, "came from my little lotus."

"Lotus," the boy echoed. "You mean the girl."

Kimblee screamed and laughed as the entity began to bite into him. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Yes! Yes!"

"I see," he stated quietly. "How strange, that such a young girl could withstand the power of a philosopher's stone."

Kimblee cackled as the entity ate away as his flesh. "Not withstand, foolish boy, she _is_ the stone."

The boy's glare darted to Kimblee, and the entity shot him towards the adolescent.

"She has become a stone?" he questioned, and Kimblee licked the blood that was trickling down the side of his mouth.

"Yes," he whispered. "It's in her very blood."

The boy smirked.

"Thank you for your coöperation," he stated. "It's a shame things had to end this way, Kimblee. You would have made a wonderful Greed."

The man paid no heed to the boy's cryptic tongue. Instead he opened his embrace to the monster's appetite, roaring as the beasts' fangs ripped him apart, limb from limb.

The boy watched with dead eyes as the shadow monster devoured Kimblee. A smile crept on to his thin lips as the entity pulled back into the shadows.

"Come now, Sloth," the boy said, as he walked beside a beast of a man. "We must return home and report this… unusual news."

:

:

Ed and Winry, as well as Mustang and his team, departed from Liore immediately after the incident. They met no grievances or obstacles as they traveled, and spoke minimally. One of the soldiers acquired a cart for his horse, in which Edward and Winry gratefully rode. The events that transpired within the Letoist church resulted in the two young travelers wanting nothing more than to rest, and to be by each other's side. It was obvious that neither of them were quite alright, and no one wanted to press the subject. Though, truthfully, no one seemed quite alright, after everything that happened.

They arrived at the small village after nightfall. When approaching the large gates of Dublith, a small band of warriors stopped them in their tracks. It was only when Edward approached them, that they retreated back into the shadows as quietly and diligently as they appeared.

The small town hadn't changed since the last Edward had seen it. From the cobbled streets to the old buildings, everything had stay as if it were frozen in time. It helped him feel at home, and he knew he could help Winry feel at home as well.

They came to a stop at the only house with a lantern lit in the window. A woman with fair skin and black hair was seated outside the door, and when Edward jumped out of the cart and came to her, she rose her hand to strike him. Edward did not flinch away, however. Instead, he closed his eyes and readied himself for the hit, but the woman's fist fell, and she pulled the boy into a warm and loving hug.

They entered the house minutes later, in a comfortable quiet. Edward stared off to a distant room, holding Winry's hand tightly as he did so.

"How is he?" he asked, and the raven-haired woman smiled.

"He's been stirring," she informed, a glint of happiness in her eyes. "His color has returned, too. A Xingese girl has been bringing flowers and herbs in an attempt to wake him."

Edward nodded quietly, and directed Winry to follow him.

He opened the door slowly, peaking in to a starlit room, filled with flowers of different spiritual meanings, but all closely related to cleansing and awakening. It softened the heaviness in Edward's heart to know that others wanted to help his brother as much as he did. He turned to Winry, who was grinning sweetly at him, and smiled.

"Winry," he began, and gestured to the sleeping boy before him, "I'd like you to meet Alphonse."

Winry looked to the sleeping boy, and she began to beam. "Shall we wake him?"

Edward's smile turned into a lopsided grin. "Yeah."

:

They sat at opposite sides of Alphonse's bed. Edward held one hand tightly, while Winry sat anxiously by the other.

"Are you ready?" she asked, and Edward nodded.

Winry's fingers began to fidget as she brought them to intertwine with Alphonse's skeletal digits. She let out a deep breath, and wrapped her hands around his. Closing her eyes, she let her power pull forth the right encryptions to awaken the sleeping boy.

It clicked, and Winry's powers trickled through her and into Alphonse with a serenity that she hadn't experience from anyone else. It didn't hurt her to channel power into him, like it did Kimblee, nor did it elevate her senses into a euphoric free fall, like it did with Edward. With Alphonse, it was soft and calm, like the lightness of morning rain.

:

Edward watched in awe as Alphonse's figure was rejuvenated before his eyes. His sunken cheeks became full again, and his emaciated body grew strong, and healthy. A warm red glow encompassed him, until, at last, his eyes began to flicker open. Edward's grin grew even more as Al stared at him, blinking profusely.

"Brother?"

"Hey Al," he beamed, squeezing his hand tightly, as if to say 'this isn't a dream'. "Long time, no see."

The boy smiled at him, his eyes welling with tears, and turned towards Winry's direction.

"It's nice to meet you, Alphonse," she whispered. "I"m Winry."

Al gaped at her unabashedly, until he finally said, "Are you an angel?"

Winry laughed softly, and Edward, as he watched the two of them in complete amazement, silently began to ponder the very same question.

:

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	16. Chapter 16

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Seeing that damned boy again, it filled Izumi with such ease that she thought she might lose feeling in her limbs. He was back, he was home, and he did what he promised his brother he would do so long ago: he woke him up.

The girl, whoever she might be, was powerful. When she took Al's hand in hers, and she saw that red glow emit from her, and then to him, she wouldn't have believed it, if it weren't for the fact that it had happened right before her eyes. Something felt…strange about her, something not quite right.

It didn't help her uneasiness that she was obviously from Resembool. Though she wasn't one to hold immense prejudice, it still frightened her to see such a powerful creature with a face of a people she had grown to see and know as monsters.

But her smile was unarming, and every movement she made or word she spoke was soft, and when she looked to Edward and saw the way he stared at the pale girl; she suddenly understood what felt so odd.

Edward had fallen in love with her.

Suddenly, the heaviness of all those years that he was lost began to trickle back.

This… This was not good.

"Izumi," a deep voiced vibrated into her ear, and she turned to gaze at the bear of a man that she called her husband, Sig. "There are soldiers outside."

Her brow furrowed and she quickly got to cracking her knuckles. "I'll take care of it."

Sig placed one of his large hands atop her shoulder. "I was thinking more on the lines of offering them shelter."

Izumi flinched at the thought, but let out a sigh as she placed her hand over his. "I suppose you're right. They did help bring Ed home."

Sig pecked the top of her head and moved away. "I'll prepare the barn."

:

:

The lantern on the front porch of the small cottage remained lit, but it was close to burning out. Even so, the stars above shined brightly enough to light up the night.

Roy took the spot next to Riza on the ground, leaning against the wheel of a cart. They hadn't spoken to each other in a day or so. Roy initially blamed travel, but deep down, he knew it was because of Ed and Winry, and his plan to take the girl back to Resembool.

After the events of Liore, the two of them had grown inseparable, and in a way much deeper than he originally conceived. It was quite obvious, really, once he noticed the way he always had a hand in hers, or how she always slept curled in his grasp, that Edward and Winry were falling for another. In any normal circumstance, Roy would find this to be a good thing. Two people belonging to opposing countries finding love, despite the opposing issues? It's beautiful, it's innovative, and it's what the world needs.

But it can't be Winry. She can't fall for a thief that hails from Xerxes.

As a princess, she has an obligation to her country and her people, and marrying a man with no royal lineage, even worse, from a country her people were at war against… Well, to put it lightly, that would not exactly be considered good politics.

Riza knew this, but sie hated the thought of tearing them apart. Sie didn't understand the need to take her away to a world just as closed off and controlling as her life was before. Roy disagreed, and it caused a rift between them.

"You're restless," sie said, breaking the silence.

Roy let out a chuckle and ran a gloved hair through his messy, black hair.

"I'm that transparent, huh?" he replied, but Riza did not stir from sir place.

"Edward and Winry are tired," sie stated. "After all they went through, they deserve a day to two on their own, without us pressing to take her away from him."

Roy felt as though he were verbally slapped. "I wasn't planning on snatching her in the middle of the night, if that's what you're implying."

"Are you sure?" sie replied quickly, and turned to stare him down. "Because it seems to me that your duty to that damned country is clouding your memory, as well as your judgment."

Roy opened his mouth to fight back, but the front door of the cottage burst open, and the raven-haired woman from before came storming out. Blasting towards them with the intensity of a high-ranking officer that demanded respect, she nearly scared the boots off of Roy as she firmly placed her hands on her hips and eyed the group with a scrutinizing glare.

"Seems to me you all need a place to sleep," she boomed, a fine eyebrow rising as she glared down at Riza, "will the lady being needing different quarters?"

"There is no woman here," Riza boasted. "If you're referring to me, I know no gender. I am a warrior, therefore I will sleep beside the rest."

"I see," the woman smirked, as though such a robust remark earned her admiration. "My apologies."

The woman, who introduced herself as Izumi, took Mustang and his crew to a barn behind the small cottage, where they met Sig, a giant man with the look of a killer, while holding the heart of a saint.

"It's not much," he told them, as he showed them make shift cots covered in wool blankets, "but I'd say it's better than the ground."

"It's more than enough," Roy reassured, and offered his hand to shake. "Thank you, sir. We are grateful for your kindness."

Sig's large hand nearly encompassed the entirety of Roy's forearm as they shook, and with that, he and wife departed. By the time he moved to find a cot, he saw that half his men were already sleeping. Riza was curled in a cot in the far corner, hir back turned to the far wall, and away from the group. With a sigh, he walked to the cot closest to hir. He laid back and stared at the ceiling, allowing a small pause of quiet.

"We need to talk," he said.

"I'd rather not," sie muttered.

"This is about more than Ed and Winry, isn't it?" he continued, and turned to look at Riza's back.

"No," sie quickly replied. "It's completely about them."

Sie rolled to the side facing him and glared vehemently. "You're tearing them apart to give her to your queen as a peace offering, in order for us to be together."

Roy stiffened.

"That is not my intention-" he started, but Riza's cold façade broke slightly, causing him to quiet.

"Whether it was your intention or not," sie began, "that is what will happen if we continue with your plan. You saw what happened to them, how much they need each other…"

Riza closed hir eyes tightly for a moment, recomposing, and then looked to Mustang once more.

"I love you, Roy," sie said, and for a split second, he was tossed back to a time where they would lie together, tangled in sheets, and sie would say those words to him softly, but openly, "but I can't continue loving you, if we tore those children apart for our own selfish desires."

Roy felt his chest turn to lead. The back of his throat burned, as though bile were ready to rise from within him. Hir eyes were sorrowful, but they didn't water.

"I won't go with you to clear my name, should you choose to continue with your plan," she added, and the fluidity hir voice usually held began to crash, and sie turned back towards the wall.

Roy lifted a hand to reach hir, but before he could caress the curve of hir back, he pulled away.

Sie was right. He couldn't expect hir to love him, if the only way for them to be together was to further ruin the lives of two young, and broken souls. How could he even think to justify such a thing? As much as he believed Winry was the heiress to the throne, would she be capable? She was still so young, but she knew nothing of politics or royalty. Hell, she knew nothing of Resembool! What kind of ruler could she be if she was thrust into the throne that way, and with a broken heart on top of it all?

This mission… It was futile.

Roy closed his eyes and begged for sleep.

:

:

It was nearing dawn when Edward woke. Light beams from the window trickled down to Edward's tightly locked eyelids, causing him to stir until he finally blinked himself awake.

"Good morning," Alphonse smiled, his voiced sounding clear and happy, and for a split second Ed thought he was still dreaming.

"Hey yourself," he croaked, and stretched his back as he tried to sit up, only to feel his right hand tug against another.

Looking in front of him, Edward saw that his fingers were intertwined with Winry's, who was still sleeping soundly on the other side of the bed. He smiled goofily to himself as he watched her shoulders rise and fall with her steady breathing. Her fair skin practically glowed under the streaks of light that splashed against her, and her hair resembled streams of water weaving across the bed. She was gorgeous.

"What a lady, huh?" Al laughed, still grinning brightly.

"You have no idea," Ed sighed, and gently pulled his fingers free. "She's… incredible."

"Sounds like you're rather fond of her," Alphonse teased, and Ed glanced between him and Winry, laughing as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head.

Ed stared at her longer, thinking back to the night prior, and the nights long before that. They told Al everything; his search for a cure, finding Winry, their adventure crossing Resembool, and even Winry's life underground. She withstood so much down there, Edward was left mortified and furious over the events she relived, but her resilience left him mesmerized. Despite it all, she was still the goofy, intelligent, sweet, beautiful girl that was lying in front of him. It was no wonder he'd fallen in love with her.

"I'm a little worse off than that, Al," he admitted, and scratched his scalp before running his hand down his face. "You know, I think that's the best I've slept in ages."

"Same," Al laughed, and stretched his arms. "I feel like I slept for years."

Ed deadpanned. "Not funny, Al."

The younger Elric shrugged and let his arms flop into his lap. "I thought so."

"Mmm-frmmm-hmm…"

The brothers immediately silenced and turned their attention back to Winry, who beginning to stir. Her hands clenched and unclenched rapidly, and her shoulders began to fidget, as though she were cold.

"…Mmmm-rrmmmm…no…"

"Winry?" Ed whispered, and placed a hand atop her head, disheveling her hair. "Yo, Winry. Wake up."

Her eyes shot open immediately, and she pulled away from his touch, looking about the room nervously in her pre-cognitive state.

"Hey," Ed called, reaching his hand out to her. "Are you okay?"

She blinked several times before responding, her alert eyes softening as they focused on Ed and Al. "Yeah, sorry. I was having a bad dream."

"You sure?" Ed asked, remembering the night in Liore, and how her nightmare had shaken her so fiercely.

She smiled and nodded her hand, placing her hand on top of his. Edward beamed back at her, rubbing the skin of her knuckles with his thumb, and squeezed. They hadn't had a calm morning like this since the mountains. She looked refreshed, happier, and he hoped it'd stay that way, now that they were home.

"OKAY THEN!"

An abrupt kick of Al's legs successfully broke the couple apart, leaving them sputtering and blushing.

"Now that we're finished with that," Al said, his eyes growing wider to punctuate that last word. "I'm starving. Let's eat!"

Al moved to get out of the bed, and Ed quickly grasped his shoulders.

"You sure you can walk?" he asked nervously, but Al brushed his hand away with a grin.

"Don't worry, brother," Al said. "Winry did a good job."

He threw his legs over the edge of the bed and stared hard at the ground. Ed held his hands out in front of him, should Al lose his balance or lack the strength to stand. It had been years since he had tried to move on his own, and he feared that he might not be able to do it on his first try.

Winry, however, did not flinch as he placed his hands firmly on the ledge of the mattress. Instead, she smiled and nodded encouragingly at him, and stood to make way for him to walk. Al nodded back at her in thanks, then fixed his gaze back to the ground. Slowly, he lifted himself off the mattress, his arms shaking from a lack of use. He exhaled loudly, his knees quaking as he straightened his legs and back, and with one more breath, he pushed his hands away from the bed and balanced.

Al was standing on his own two feet.

"I did it," he beamed, wiggling his toes and bouncing his heels. "I really did it!"

He twisted his body around awkwardly to stand in front of Ed, and the older Elric felt his chest burst with lightness as he stared at Al, who was smiling and crying as he raised his arms to him.

That's when Ed finally lost it. He leapt over the bed and hugged his brother tightly, tears on the verge of falling as Al sobbed into his shoulder.

"Thank you, brother," he wept. "Thank you so much."

Their tight embrace then turned to fists full of fabric and tears of happiness pooling over each brother's shoulder. Winry stepped to them and wrapped herself around the both of them, and they instantly broke part of their hold on one another to place an arm around her.

The three of them stayed that way for some time: lost in complete awe of one another as they basked in each of their essences. Alphonse was awake and healthy, Edward finally found his brother's cure, Winry found a home in the arms of two brothers, and they were happy.

:

"Ah! So you're all finally up!" Izumi beamed, as the three walked into the room.

She did not hesitate to move to Alphonse and embrace him deeply, the way a mother would to a child she thought was lost, but came tumbling home unharmed. She tousled the rich, dark gold hair atop his head and wiped a trail of tears from his cheek with the pad of her thumb. It was a sight Edward had longed to see for years; people hugging Al after he woke, showing him the affection he desperately deserved.

"What would you like to eat?" she asked him. "I'll make anything you want."

Edward noticed Al's smile seemed to continue to grow as the day went. "Honestly, teacher. I'm so hungry I'd eat anything."

A thought struck Ed, and he smirked sinisterly.

"Even a cat?"

Al's seemingly never-ending smile suddenly vanished.

"I WOULD NEVER!" he began, shrieking and sputtering like a child. "HOW COULD YOU-WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?"

Bursting into laughter, Ed fell back onto a seat at the wooden dining table, holding his middle as he cackled at his brother's exasperation.

"Too easy!" he sputtered in between his fits. "You're still too easy!"

Cats. Al always had a soft spot for them, ever since he was little. He would feed the feral kittens that strayed into their town and play with them whenever they got comfortable, and Ed loved to taunt him about it. He could remember Al running home and crying after him that he'd catch one and give it to mom for stew. Of course, he'd never do it, but it was fun to mess with him!

Ed had been laughing so hard, he didn't notice Winry storm over to him, nor was he prepared for the 'whack 'on the head she sent his way.

The back of his head was sent flying towards the floor, he was barely able to jet his hands out in front of him and bounce back.

"WHAT THE HELL, WOMAN?" he shouted, and then flushed when he turned and noticed Winry bent down to his level and glaring fiercely.

…. Since when did he find that so unarming, and attractive?

Her nose was nearly touching his; Ed could feel her breath warming the skin of his bottom lip.

"Don't tease your brother like that!" she shouted, and her voice reverberated through his ears and down his spine, tingling his nerves.

He furrowed his brow deeply and puffed out his chest. "I'm not beating him, Win! He can take a damn joke!"

She fisted her hands and placed them on her hips, accentuating the curve they made between her wait and thighs, and Ed tried his hardest to focus on her frustrated stare and not body. "It's not funny, cut it out!"

"Or what?"

She leaned in closer; her forehead was pressed hard against his, and god, it was like she was trying to drive him crazy! "Or else."

They were glaring at each other with a deep conviction. Ed knew Winry's intensity was rooted in her desire to win the argument, but his was lying somewhere in between the same thing as her, and a deep, deep longing to close the gap between their mouths and kiss her for the sheer fact that he could. His attention flickered between her heated gaze and her lips. All it'd take was a small push of his head and they'd be his…

"Ah-hem!"

The trance was broken, and the two snapped her heads in Izumi's direction.

"If you're both finished, " she began, a single eyebrow arched high in scrutiny. "I'll go ahead and start cooking."

Winry immediately back away from Ed and bow her head towards the woman. "I'm very sorry, Miss Izumi. It won't happen again."

Izumi hard expression broke into surprise, and she smiled. "Not to worry, Winry. I'm glad you stepped in, otherwise I would have."

Ed gulped as the older woman began to walk past, averting his gaze when she stopped to give him a stern glance.

"It's good to have you back, boys," she said, and continued her way to the kitchen. "Mei will be happy to see you're awake, Al. She's been waiting to meet you for a long time."

Alphonse's expression turned confused as he made his way to the table, taking the seat across from his brother. "Mei?"

Ed shrugged in response. "Someone from town, I suppose. Hell, I bet a ton of people will be excited to find out you're back."

"Right," Al said, smiling widely again. "I can't wait to see everyone."

"Me too," Winry added, as she took the seat beside Ed, placing her elbows on the table and hooking her hair behind her ear as she tried to get comfortable. "Ed's told me so much about the people here."

Ed watched Winry's fingertips tap the wood softly. He thought about lifting his hands to the table, too, and, as the three of them continued talking, casually lacing his fingers in with hers. He was fixated on the idea of having her as close as possible. He didn't care if hands were gloved. He didn't want the rush of her power tunneling through him; he just wanted to be close to her, and his internal struggle with whether or not he should just go for it or think more thoroughly was eating away at him. Why the hell was this so difficult?!

The front door of the cottage swung open, and the three of them quickly turned their heads to see a small, Xingese girl skip into the entryway, with her arms full of fennel, passionflowers, marjoram, and pine.

This must be Mei, Ed thought, and looked back to Al, whose expression was that of a man who had just seen a ghost.

"You," he breathed, his vision completely locked on the girl. "You're the one who brought me flowers?"

Mei's doe eyes grew even larger than before. "I-I…"

She lifted the bundle of herbs and flowers to her face and stepped back towards the door, but she didn't have the time to take another step before Al was on his feet and making his way towards her.

Her face grew violently red as he lowered her arms, taking in her features the same way he would a sunset.

Ed watched as his brother went slack-jawed, and smiled. "I could smell every flower you ever brought me, I heard you talking when you came into my room."

Mei looked as though she were going to melt when Al lifted a hand to her cheek. "Gosh, you're the reason I could even dream. Thank you."

Alphonse stared at her in complete awe, and he recognized that damned look immediately.

"You've got to be kidding," he whispered under his breath, and turned to Winry as they watched his brother encompass the girl in his arms. "Come on. Let's give them some privacy."

He placed his hand on the small of her back, and together, they slipped past the embracing pair and walked out of the cottage.

"Kid hasn't been awake a whole damn day," Ed started, as he shut the front door, "and he's already fallen in love with some girl."

"Oh shush," Winry scolded, slapping him lightly on the arm. "I think it's sweet."

"About as sweet as a cavity," Ed chuckled, as he swiped away her hand, smirking at her as they stood there, until he had a sudden, nerve-racking realization: they were alone.

The last time they were on their own like this was Liore, and he'd be damned if that wasn't the worst thing they had experience in their entire lives. They hadn't talked about what happened with Cornello and Rose in the church, or about the horrible things Kimblee did to them while they were stuck in that underground prison.

They hadn't even talked about the kiss.

Ed knew she understood that he did it to channel her power, that it was a necessity for them to escape, but what she didn't know was that he had been thinking about those kisses since she helped pull him out of that chasm and fell into his arms. He wanted to know what it felt like to kiss her for means other than survival, but more importantly, he wanted to know if she did, too.

He raised his an arm from his side and started to reach out to take her hand in his, but a voice calling out to them stopped the action cold in its tracks.

"Ah, Fullmetal."

Ed cursed internally as he saw Mustang come walking towards them from behind the cottage. For fucks sake, could he not actually get a moment alone with this woman?!

"What do you want?" Ed barked. "We're home. There's no need for you to be here."

Winry muttered his named threateningly under her breath, and he cleared his throat. "What I mean is, we're alright now. Don't you have to go back to your country?"

Mustang stopped a few feet in front of them; his expression looked more aloof than usual. "Yes, that… That's a matter at hand which I'm currently working on."

Winry folded her arms behind her back and tilted her head inquisitively. "Is something bothering you, General Mustang?"

The soldier almost refused to make eye contact with her, something Ed found rather strange. He'd noticed before that Mustang had treated Winry with nothing but the utmost respect during the days that they had traveled together. It was rather annoying, really.

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Winry," Mustang replied; his words came out slow, as though he were contemplating what to say or how to say it, "but I assure you that I am well."

Ed took the second of silence that followed as his opportunity to escape whatever impending conversation Mustang was trying to build up.

"Good for you," he quickly said, and grabbed Winry's hand, pulling her away from the cottage door and away from that damned general. "Whelp! We're off! Don't follow us!"

"Wait, Fullmetal!" Mustang shouted after, but Edward continued to move him and Winry away from the house as fast as he could; whatever the bastard wanted to talk about could wait, he doubted it was more important than what he needed to tell her.

But first, he needed to make due on his promise, by showing her everything there was to see in her new home.

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:

Winry fumbled as she tried to keep up with Edward's pace, practically running behind him as he stormed off towards town. She wanted to yell for him to slow down, that Mustang wasn't even behind them, but she decided to keep her focus on not falling.

She wondered where Edward planned on taking her first, or what kind of places Dublith might have within it. Whatever may be there, she hoped they eventually found a place quiet and intimate to talk. She wanted to talk about what happened in Liore: the nightmares, the church, and the underground prison. She wanted to tell him about how she thought of him the entire time they were apart. She wanted to tell him about how she nearly gave up her freedom, her life, just to keep him alive. More importantly, she wanted to tell him that she loved him.

They reached a beaten, cobblestoned road that led to a small circle of buildings surrounding what looked like a large fire pit. Ed finally started to slow his pace, and Winry stood shoulder to shoulder with him, staring perplexedly at the scene.

"This," Ed began, swinging their interlocked hands back and forth, "is Dublith."

It wasn't as rustic or dilapidated as Youswell, and it certainly didn't hold the strange beauty like Liore. It was simple, it was friendly; it was home.

"Let's go see what's open in town," Ed smiled. "If we're lucky, Gracia's already opened up the bakery."

Winry's heart nearly leapt out of her throat. "Really? You're not going to try and steal anything are you?"

Ed's expression turned fearful. "Steal…from Gracia? I'm reckless, Winry, but I'm not suicidal."

With that, they continued on.

The outside of the bakery was small, and definitely needed a good fix-up. The wooden framework that Winry hypothesized made up the majority of the building needed replacing, as its shaped had become noticeably warped. She wondered if they'd let her help fix some of the older architecture in town, goodness knows she missed working with her hands.

The woman Ed called, "Gracia" was standing by an old stove when they entered, pulling out a freshly baked pie. The sound of the door squeaking open caused her to spin around, no doubt preparing to greet a friend, and when her eyes locked on Edward, she dropped the delicious looking treat on the floor, covering her mouth with her hands in time with her eyes growing wide from shock.

"Edward," she whispered, and ran out from behind the counter to embrace him closely.

"Hey Gracia," he laughed, and wrapped an arm around her back.

"You're finally home!" she cried, and pulled away to swat him lightly on the shoulder, "You scared us all half to death!" then pulled him back into a tight hug. "Maes! Come down here! Edward's home, and he brought a friend!"

The sound of heavy footsteps sounded off from over them, and from a stairway hidden behind a door, a bespectacled man came running into the room. He had a warm, friendly face, and when Gracia moved to let him see Edward, he smiled widely and honestly. He reminded her of the loving fathers and honest kings from the stories she read underground, and when a little came stumbling behind him and latched onto the fabric of his trousers, she was convinced it to be true.

"It's about damn time," the man beamed, and barreled into not only Edward, but Gracia and Winry, too. "Welcome home, kid!"

The little girl ran over to the group and grabbed Winry's free hand, jumping up and down excitedly. "Me too! Me too!"

Maes continued to hug them all unbearably tight, while Gracia giggled, Edward rattled off obscenities, and the little girl begged to join, and Winry felt as though she was going to burst. When the man finally let them go, she quickly began to wipe tears from her eyes. Edward was quick to notice, and placed a hand on her shoulder in a silent attempt to ask if she was all right. After taking a shaky breath, she smiled brightly, and he returned it with a smirk of his own.

"Sorry if I squeezed ya too hard," Maes laughed, and picked up the young girl and held her affectionately in his arms. "I'm used to giving little Elicia here big bear hugs!"

Laughter began to burst from little Elicia as her father coddled her and playfully whisked her through the air. Ed lifted his hand from Winry's shoulder and placed it on top of her head. Winry smiled at the gesture, and let out a happy sigh as she leaned into his side.

This was how people were meant to live. This was how people were supposed to be with one another: loving, friendly, and trusting. She knew that what she was taught underground was a lie, but being there with these strangers, and being welcomed so instantaneously without a single thought otherwise, it felt like she was living a dream.

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Gracia fed them an assorted group of sweets and goodies soon after the initial meeting occurred. She was completely floored when Winry admitted that she never had quiche, and Maes insisted that she come to dinner at their house one night, so that his 'beautiful wife' could spoil her taste buds. They talked lightly above their travels together, and about Alphonse finally waking, to which Maes and Gracia openly celebrated through tears and hugs. The family was loving and open, and Edward promised them they'd be back the next day to chat, and that they'd be paying for their meal that time around.

The rest of their time in town was just as splendid. After leaving the bakery, Ed and Winry ran into Dominic, the town's blacksmith. She became absolutely elated when she saw his workshop, and asked countless questions about his artistry. Edward was completely lost in their conversation once they started using common jargon and getting into talk of machinery, but seeing Winry's face light up at hearing of another person who loved mechanics was quite possibly the most beautiful she had ever looked to him. He had no idea she longed to create the things she spoke of with the old man, and it made Edward want to learn more.

They met the Ishvalan priests that lived in a temple beside the town. It was small, and quite honestly blended in with most of the town, but he remembered when he was young and the townspeople helped create them a home after the raids had taken theirs, and they honored those who helped build it with a small, but intimate festival. When they saw Edward and heard of Alphonse's awakening, they proclaimed Ishvala, their god, had heard their prayers, and that a celebration would be held in his honor. Though they initially looked at Winry with guarded eyes, hearing that it was she who woke Al caused them to ease.

:

The sky had turned dark by the time Winry asked to head back home. Edward was hesitant; he hadn't yet talked to her about Liore, but he could see the sleepiness in her eyes, and carried her home on his back.

"You're carrying me next time," Ed muttered to her, as they reached the front door.

Winry hummed a small laugh into back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine.

"You're too big for me carry," she sighed.

Edward rolled his eyes as he put her down. "I heard you talking with Dominic about all that mechanics nonsense, and I saw you knock a chimera out with nothing but a candlestick. You're not fooling me."

The silence that followed was not expected, nor was the solemn expression she wore as he met her gaze. Nice going, Ed.

"Hey, I'm so-" he began, but Winry took in a deep breath and held up her hand.

"Don't be," she began. "I'm not upset."

"I wouldn't blame you if you were," he replied, running his fingers through his bangs. "We haven't even talked about what happened, and I here I am being a jack ass and cracking jokes about it."

Winry's large eyes looked heavy on her face as she stared at the ground. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words were lost before they ever came out. The sound of something crashing in the house broke their silence, and Ed begrudgingly led her inside, letting the conversation hang over their heads as they entered the catastrophic and hilarious scene of Alphonse screaming as half a pot of stew covered the kitchen floor.

The group laughed whole-heartedly as they cleaned the mess, and was happy to find that, despite losing an abundance of the meal, there was still enough stew to feed the entire lot.

"Good thing I gave those soldiers meals of their own," Sig stated, while Izumi grunted in response. "They would have been out of luck, if I had not."

:

After dinner, Izumi, Sig and Alphonse happily announced that they resituated the rooms in the house to accommodate Edward and Winry.

"Edward, you'll be rooming with Alphonse like you did when you were boys," Izumi informed. "Winry, your room is upstairs in my old study. It's a little musty, but it should do the job."

Edward felt his heart drop.

"I don't think that's a smart idea," he quickly interjected, earning surprised glances from everyone, "she can't sleep on her own."

Izumi squinted darkly at him, no doubt questioning his intentions, but Winry smiled softly at Ed and placed her own head on top of his head, like he did to her so often. "It's alright, Ed. I'll be okay."

"You sure?" he questioned, remembering how she tossed and turned until she'd feel his back against hers, and calm down almost immediately.

She nodded in response. "I promise."

He watched Izumi guide her to the staircase with a twinge of anxiety. They hadn't slept alone since they met, would she really be okay without him? It wasn't until he and Al had gone off to their room, and after hours of him tossing and turning, that he wondered if it was him that wasn't okay.

"Brother," Al whispered, and Ed wondered if his restlessness was keeping him up, or if he simply wasn't able to sleep after what he went through. "How long were you and Winry together?"

Edward sighed loudly, trying to think back to when he first met the girl in that dark tunnel. "A month, possibly."

He could hear his brother's head brush against his sheets, possibly nodding in response. "Did it take you that long to fall in love with her?"

Ed was quiet for moment, but eventually replied. "No. I fell for her a while back, it just took me a while to realize."

Alphonse laughed softly, and Ed growled in response. "Eh, shut up. You're not better than me, Mr. "You're the reason I could dream"."

"Says the guy who can't sleep without his girl next to him," Al chided.

It went silent after that. As much as he hated to admit it, the brat was right.

"Go see her."

Ed shot up from his bed and glared at Al's side of the room. "Are you crazy? I'm not risking Izumi skinning my ass."

"Suit yourself then," Al yawned, and the sound of him fidgeting in bed signaled to his brother that he was done talking, and ready to sleep.

He pondered his words as he lay back down. Go see her. Go seer her? If he got caught trying to sneak past Izumi's room and upstairs into Winry's, he'd be dead before he could even scream.

The sound of weight shifting from above caused the ceiling to creak. It was Winry; she must still be awake.

Ed groaned internally at the thought of both of them being awake, quite possibly the only two to be, and not being able to see her. Soft footsteps led from where her bed must have been located, and traced to right above where he was resting. Ed could hear a lock twist, and what sounded like her bedroom window being forced open, and Edward was struck with an idea.

There was no way he could get around their room, but…perhaps…if he climbed up the cottage and to her window…

Her footsteps never went back to her bed. She was just standing there, like she was begging for him to come up. Edward grumbled as he fought with himself over whether or not he was being a complete idiot, but eventually ripped the blankets off of his body and hopped out of bad.

Fuck it, he thought, and quietly crept out of the room, and out of the house.

Slowly closing the front door of the cottage, Ed practically ran to the side of the house where Winry's window resided. He paused when he noticed Roy and Riza outside of the barn, having what looked like a heated argument. He stuck to the shadows as they whispered viciously at one another, and quickly scurried up the vine that led to the roof once they vanished.

His heart was beating painfully hard, and he suddenly began to question whether or not it was stupid of him to bother her at this late hour. He had nearly convinced himself to turn back before his hand got caught in a tangle of vines.

"Son of a bitch," Ed cursed, and fought against the damned plant for minutes, ripping and tearing while muttering obscenities to himself.

A shadow cast down on him once he pulled his fingers free, and he looked up to see Winry face dangling from outside her window; her hair draping down around her like a curtain of silver starlight.

"Ed?" she whispered, and Ed swore he could see a small smile take her mouth. "What are you doing?"

"Eh," he replied, as he continued to climb up to her. "Just hanging out I guess?"

Winry pursed her lips and raised her brow in disbelief, causing Ed to chuckle awkwardly. "What are you really doing?"

She backed away when he finally reached the window, but stayed close enough that Ed could see the freckles of different blues and greens that colored her irises. The moonlight highlighted her every feature perfectly, he nearly forgot to respond, he was gazing at her so intently.

"I couldn't sleep."

Her eyelids widened in surprise, but quickly retracted.

"Me neither," she sighed. "Guess I wasn't as okay as I thought."

Ed took the opportunity to pull himself up and rest his elbows on the sill. "I don't think either of us are."

Winry nodded slowly, and leaned into him, resting her forehead against the nape of his neck. The collar of his shirt began to dampen, and Ed immediately wrapped his hands around her. This was it; he could feel it.

"I was so scared," she whispered. "I was so scared of being trapped there, of losing you."

He remained quiet, letting Winry cry in between slow breaths.

"I gave up," she continued, her voice muddled by her sobs and the fabric of his shirt. "I promised I'd stay down there with him, if he promised not to kill you."

Ed's jaw tightened, thinking about how that bastard beat him until he was inches way from death. That was why he didn't kill him. It was the only reason he was still alive.

The skin of his neck went cold as she pulled away from him, and she worried her lip as she lifted herself up to his level. Her eyes were cast downward, and had become slightly swollen. Her cheeks were glossed with the tears that stained his clothes.

"He told me he was going to skin you, rip you apart," she confessed, her words felt soft, but broken. "That he'd kill you, because…"

Winry stopped, taking in another shaky breath. Ed wiped a tear off her cheek with the pad of his thumb, and tucked her hair behind her ears as she tried to calm her breathing.

"He could tell," she said, raising a hand to lace her fingers with his.

Edward caressed her knuckles with his fingers. "Tell what?"

Winry's eyes finally met his, and Ed felt his insides go into a free fall. "That I love you, dummy."

Any rational thought that had been inside of Edward's mind before, suddenly vanished. Without hesitation, he lifted himself from the windowsill and brought her mouth to his in one swift movement. That surge of spine tingling energy danced through every nerve in his body, as the taste of her lips overtook whatever bit of sense he had left in him. She was more than just heaven; she was life, she was laughter, she was fury, and she loved him with the same fervency that he did her.

It was because of this fact, that Edward decided he would never tell her about the atrocities he faced in that collapsing church. He wouldn't confide to her all the monstrous, perverse things her master had whispered to him sickly in that dungeon, or how he feared the worst when her cries for him filled those hellish halls. Speaking of those fearful events would do nothing to strengthen her. She had her own nightmares to live with; she didn't need his.

He could carry the weight of those horrors for the rest of his life, because she loved him, too, and that was enough.

:

:

He entered the palace at nightfall.

The dancing fire from the torches casted the perfect shadows to engulf, making traveling to his king all the faster. The alabaster floors of the throne room became drenched in black, and from the darkness, the boy emerged before his king.

"Nice too see you finally join the party, Pride," a wide mouthed creature croaked. "I thought we'd have to start the fun without you."

The boy called, "Pride" glowered, but the king rose his hand high in the air, silencing the group before another word could be uttered.

He motioned to the boy. "Speak."

"While retrieving the gift you bestowed to Cornello," he began. "I saw a familiar old face. General Solf J. Kimblee."

The Hollow King's large hands tightened into fists, shaking violently against the stoned throne.

"He was ravaged-looking, animalistic," the boy continued, "and his mind was quite disillusioned. He remembered me however," a twinge of disgust colored his placid face, "He called me, 'Tybalt'."

Envy burst into laughter, howling like a hyena as Pride glared venomously.

"Tybalt!" they cried. "He called you by worthless, human name?"

"I would advice to silence quickly, Iago," Pride snarled. "Father doesn't approve of interruptions."

Envy dared to look in the direction of the Hollow King, shrouded by darkness except for his hands, and went silent.

"As I was saying," Pride stated smugly, "he had quite a bit of information on a stone that was lost sixteen years ago, the one Marcoh ran off with. Apparently, it is embodied within a young girl."

Envy's violet pupils shrank as they awaited the Hollow King's response. "A girl…"

"Yes," Pride assured. "From what I saw of her, she appears to be a child of Resembool."

"So," the King muttered. "My prediction was correct."

A tense silence overtook the throne room, until the Hollow King stood abruptly.

"Find the girl and bring her to me. I want back what is mine."

Pride and Envy bowed low to the ground, and together, slipped into the blackness of the shadows.

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	17. Chapter 17

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The first rays of the morning sun hadn't quite peaked over the small town of Dublith. The sky was still blanketed with the presence of night, despite the bleeding orange color that began to brighten the dark. The people of the town were still tucked away in their beds; even the farmers hadn't dared to wake and begin their day of labor. No, not a single soul had risen from their slumber. None, except for Edward Elric.

He was roused by soft breaths puffing against the skin of his nose, causing it to twitch relentlessly until consciousness finally overtook him. He didn't bother opening his eyes at first. Instead, he wrapped his arms around the small body that rested against him, and pulled it closer. A small sigh escaped it, and Ed breathed in a clean, familiar scent and sleepily nuzzled his face into soft skin, grumbling quietly before eventually giving into the fact that he couldn't fall back asleep.

When Edward finally did open his eyes, his smile was almost wide enough to crack skin when the sight of the girl in his grasp became clear. He had stayed in Winry's room with her the whole night through; kissing her with every fiber of his being and sleeping soundly with her in an intertwined bundle on the small attic bed. The feeling of her mouth against his was still as fresh and sense-tingling as it had been hours ago, and having her nestled so closely to him only made the memory of their night together all the more heart-pounding.

He played with the ends of her long blonde hair, taking in the features of her face as she nuzzled her cheek to his chest. Her eyelashes were ridiculously long; he was very certain they touched the hairs on her brow when her eyes were open, and she had the lightest of freckles decorating the bridge of her nose, and they trickled, little by little, across her sun-kissed cheeks. Her mouth was hanging slightly open, and she let out soft sighs as the early hours turned into day. Damn, the thought of trying to leave her felt physically impossible. He knew when he woke that he needed to sneak back out and get to his own room before Izumi found him, but every nerve in his body told him to stay completely entangled with the girl that was nestled in his arms. If he didn't fear dying for being there, he'd have no problem lying in bed with her for the rest of his life.

But light began to seep into the room through the open window, and Edward let out a mournful sigh as he slowly tried to lift Winry off him. She stirred, and groaned out a sound something similar to a disgruntled pup, before her eyes blinked open and locked onto his. Even half awake with a dead stare and partially covered in drool, the girl was beautiful.

"Hey," he smiled, and she grinned back.

"Hey," she echoed sleepily, and yawned before looking out the sunlit window. "Is it morning already?"

"Unfortunately," he grumbled, and fully shifted her body to his side, resting her head on the inner part of his arm, while running his hand lightly up and down her back.

Winry wrapped an arm across his torso and huffed loudly into the skin of his neck. "When do you have to go?"

"What?" Ed sniggered, and pulled Winry closer. "Are you going to miss me, Winry? Is being apart for a few minutes just too much for you?"

"Says the sap that snuck into _my_ room, because he couldn't sleep without me," she chided, nuzzling her nose against him.

"Tch, like you were any better off," he retorted, and pecked her forehead, then cheek, and eventually, her lips. "You know, I think this is the first time in a while you didn't cry in your sleep."

Winry' scrunched her nose. "I don't _cry_ in my sleep."

Ed scoffed, cocking an eyebrow as he cupped her cheek. "Yeah, ya do. A lot. Ever since Liore, to be exact."

"Well," Winry started, as she began to run her fingers through his loose hair. "Maybe I was too worn out to even try, or you were too tuckered out to even hear me."

Ed grinned mischievously. "I wouldn't doubt either of those possibilities. You had me pretty far gone with that mouth of yours."

"Edward!" she gasped, and swatted his shoulder lightly.

"What?" he laughed, grabbing her hand and brushing her knuckles against his lips. "You said it."

" _Or_ ," Winry continued, in an attempt to ignore his previous comment, "it could be because it was the first night I didn't have a nightmare."

He let her fingers stay pressed against his mouth. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I think.. I think talking about everything helped get them out of me, at least for one night."

The horrors she confessed to him flooded his mind as she spoke, making him relive Kimblee's attack and the torture they both endured in that church. The memory of her being pierced through the middle by that monster's damned blade made his blood boil, while also leaving him completely terrified. He couldn't imagine the darkness that plagued her, but he'd be damned if anything like that every happened to her again. He hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her face so that her eyes met his.

"You won't ever have any nightmares again, if I can help it," he told her earnestly.

Winry chuckled and cupped his jaw, bringing him closer to her mouth. "Well, then, I guess you have to stay here with me every night. Just to make sure."

"If only," he breathed in between light kisses. "I got to get going. Izumi will be up any minute."

Winry pouted, causing Ed to laugh, and he reluctantly rolled off of the bed.

"I don't think she'd _kill_ you for being in my room," she chided, watching Ed tie back his hair and readjust his clothing. "She seems like a nice woman."

Edward's lip curled up in both fear and the complete shock at how little Winry knew of Izumi. "You have no idea what she's capable of doing, and I'm not stupid enough to try and find out."

Winry huffed in annoyance, but Ed merely rolled his eyes in response, and pecked her cheek before heading towards his escape route. He barely got one leg out of the window before Winry sprinted to his side, cupping his face with both hands and pulling him in for a long, breath-stealing kiss. Ed nearly lost balance, but regained it by wrapping an arm around Winry's waist and bringing her to his side. Both were grinning wildly as their lips stayed locked; small bubbles of laughter filled the air behind their tongues as their grips on one another tightened, both too fixated on one another to really let go.

"Damn it, you're going to get me caught," Ed said into her mouth, and Winry grinned wider against his.

"Oh, you'll be fine," she whispered back, but Ed pulled his head away as she tried to go back in to the kiss. "Big baby."

Ed flung his other leg out the window and set his feet into the vines. "Better that than dead."

Winry laughed openly, the sound clear like a bell, and leaned against the windowsill. "I'll see you at breakfast?"

Ed smirked as he looked up at her. "Yeah, you bet."

She smiled, and dropped her head to give the boy one last kiss before slipping back into the room and shutting the window. Edward took a moment to gape at the window, then the sky, and smile embarrassingly wide to himself as he continued his descent. He never would have believed life could turn out to be so incredible. Perhaps equivalent exchange existed in more than just alchemy; it was proving to show that the years of anguish and pain he had fought through since the loss of his mother was being paid back with an unfathomable amount of happiness, due to his brother waking, and love, thanks to Winry. Lightness began to brew in Ed's stomach, making him feel as though, if he fell from his spot on the vines, he'd drift through the air like a feather, and land safely on his feet. He knew it was ridiculous; hell, if he weren't the person feeling such strange emotions, he wouldn't even be able to comprehend the idea. At this point, however, he was beyond the point of caring. It was strange, but then again, everything he knew about love was strange, and if it meant having nights like last night, and mornings like this one, he was more than fine with it.

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Mustang was jolted awake by what he thought was the sound of an attack. Rubbing his eyes with the backs of his hands, he stood from his cot and darted towards the barn door, stopping only when he noticed Hawkeye swinging hir feet aimlessly as sie sat perched atop a high beam.  
"You were dreaming about war again," sie stated, hir eyes never leaving the small opening at the top of the doorway, showing hir the outside. "Don't worry. The town is fine. The people are safe."

The panic that had begun to swell in his belly started to calm. Sie was right, he _was_ dreaming about war. Ever since he had arrived in this small town, flashbacks of his time in battle stung the back of his mind, bleeding into his every thought. What made it worse, was the way he noticed the slight change in looks of the townspeople as he and his men helped Izumi and Sig with house work to pay for their stay in the barn. It was apparent that his men were not of this country, and despite the motley collection of ethnicities he spotted throughout the day, he could tell they all feared the pale skin of his soldiers. It made him worry for Winry, as he knew how painfully she and Edward would try to make Dublith her home.

A twinge of nerves pulsating through his body as the memory of their fight from the night before came flooding back to him, and Mustang sucked in a breath. "I see."

Sie looked towards him, hir face blank as sie said. "Seems Edward is attempting to sneak out of the cottage's attic window."

Mustang's brow furrowed as he stared back at hir. "And what might that mean?"

Hawkeye smirked, unsettling Roy slightly, and turned hir head back towards the cracked door. "I saw Winry opening said window late last night."

Roy thought he was going to choke on his own tongue. "W-what?!"

With a bounce of hir leg, Hawkeye dropped the front of hir body toward the ground, flipping hirself around the beam and landed quietly on the ground. Roy could see a chuckle building behind hir blank expression.

"Don't worry," sie replied, walking past him towards hir cot. "Nothing of an impure nature occurred."

"I'm offended that you'd imply that to be my first concern," Roy remarked, but looked to the ground as he said. "How do you know?"

"My sight isn't the only sense that's heightened," sie answered, and pointed to hir ears as sie grabbed hir cloak, "and of course it was. I can tell by the increase in your heartbeat and the way your eyes dilated. They do that whenever you think of something impure."

Roy felt a blush dare to tint his face. "I see."

Riza draped the cloak around hir shoulders and pulled the hood over hir head. "I don't believe you really do, because I know that you're still planning on taking her back, despite what you see happening."

Sie grabbed hir bow and quiver, and placed them on hir person as sie continued, "They've already professed their feelings. If you take her away now, you're going to destroy her."

"This isn't a decision I can easily make, Riza," he retorted, doing his best to keep his voice at a hushed tone. "I can't just leave the only heir to my kingdom in a place that considers her a monster!"

"And where do you see such convictions here?" sie exclaimed moving dangerously fast towards him. "Where are the people who damn her for the color of her skin? Did you not see her enter town and be embraced with love? She is _safe_ here!"

"For how long?" Roy replied, his fists clenching. "You say your eyes are sharp, but you're not seeing the lingering stares that follow her. I saw disproval in the eyes of Edward's caretaker, and I'm certain there are others who will persecute her just by looking at her! She is _alone_ here!"

"She has _Edward_ ," Hawkeye seethed, hir chest bumping into his.

"Like you had me?" Mustang replied, and hir aggression slipped. "Riza, they're going to find out about her power if she stays. Do you really think they'd accept her after that?"

"I…" sie began, and dropped hir gaze to the floor. "I do not know."

"Do you think Ed wouldn't sacrifice his happy home here to keep her safe?" Roy asked hir, placing a hand on hir shoulder. "That he wouldn't jeopardize his life to give her sanctuary when people finally learn how Alphonse woke?"

Roy stared down at hir, seeing the revelation in hir fire eyes. "She won't ever be safe here, Riza. She needs to be guarded…"

Riza scoffed. "No more, Roy."

Sie brushed his hands away, and walked towards the barn doors. "I'll be leaving tonight. Alone."

Roy felt a lump grow in his throat, straining his chest. "Is that truly what you want?"

Riza didn't respond. Instead, sie slipped out the doors without another moment to pass. Roy stepped backwards until his heel brushed the side of his cot and dropped into it, running his hands down his face as he cursed himself for not thinking this plan through more precisely.

How could he not see those two falling for one another? How did he not factor that in the first time he saw them together, that fateful day in the woods? Edward had nearly died by the bite of his flames, and he did it to save Winry. Even if they hadn't recognize it, he should have known it was happening. They were no different than him and Riza at that age.

"Sounds like you're in a middle of a rock and hard place, eh, boss?"

Roy looked up quickly, spotting Jean Havoc sitting up in his own cot, smirking as he lit his tobacco pipe and took a long puff. "Wonder how the kid'll react knowing he's been trying to court royalty."

Roy didn't respond. Instead, he stared down at the hay beneath his feet. He had no idea how Edward or Winry would take it, and he deeply feared the outcome.

:  
:

Riza practically fled the barn in a heated, emotional whirlwind. Sie breathed deeply through hir belly, demanding hir heart and lungs to calm before sie could no longer hold back hir anger. He was a fool, a complete and utter fool. Yet, at the same time, so was sie. Perhaps, deep down, sie wished for them to stay together so that, in some odd way, sie found happiness in hir inability to be with Roy. Through Edward and Winry, sie could let her hopes for a day where sie and the boy from the burning village be freed. To know sie helped those two overcome their horrors and let them come together in a peaceful resolution, it would have been enough for hir. Sie could let the dream of letting hir love shine go, knowing that sie was able to help another brighten the world with theirs. Now, sie feared sie would never be free of that damned heartache. The elders of hir clan were right; love was for the weak, for children that knew nothing of sacrifice.

Sie brought hir hand to head, feeling hir eyes grow heavy, when the sound of voices filled the morning silence. They sang in a hauntingly beautiful tone; their voices harmonizing together in a language that sounded foreign to hir, yet, at the same, incredibly familiar. It felt as though sie were reliving a childhood memory. Riza walked towards the front of the cottage, following the sound of the voices that tantalized hir, practically pulled hir to them as sie tried to find their source.

From a distance, a cluster of people weaving in and out and around each other moved through the street, belting that strangely beautiful chant like it was as natural as breathing. They swayed between one another as fluidly as water moved through a stream; not only singing, but playing instruments and dancing in such a captivating way.

Sie was so fixated on the performance, sie barely noticed the presence that moved beside hir, and looked to see Edward, grinning widely to himself as he took in the very same sight.

"I haven't watched an Ishvalan song of celebration in a long while," he said. "Still as awesome as I remember."

Riza remained quiet, watching in awe as the group of Ishvalan paraders finally reached the small cottage. They sang with a vitality that left hir completely astounded, but what struck hir deeply was when the melody altered, and a lone voice began a new piece. It was raw, but beautiful as it held out the beginning notes of a hymn Riza was startled to realize sie knew. It propelled hir back decades in the past, to when sie was a young child, still learning the ways of hir people. One of the elders that watched over the younglings would chant the very same piece; ensnaring hir and all the other children with its beauty. That chant… did it belong to a people that hir clan eradicated? Was that one, soothing memory bathed in the blood of innocents? Did that elder truly sing that song in celebration, or was it an attempt to cling to an old way of life that had been ripped away from them?

A small child from within the group ran around the edge of their parade, their open-mouth baring a toothless grin as they clumsily twirled and swayed by their feet. Their large, bright red eyes reminded Riza of hir youth; and hir heart sank deeper. How many people had hir clan destroyed in the name of the Xerxian king? Was sie the result of their expedition to further Xerxes? Was sie the product of their crusade?

An old man bounded before them, pulling Edward into his arms and hugging him tightly.

"Praise Ishvala!" he bellowed. "Our prayers have been answered! Young Edward, you are home!"

Edward rubbed the back of his neck as the man released his hold on him. "It's good to see you again, Master Logue."

The old man cupped Edward's face and pointed it towards the light, eyeing his features closely. "Ah! Just like your father, you look! But your nose, it is your mother's, indeed!"

The boy smirked awkwardly. "Thanks?"

"You've grown well, boy!" he replied. "Now, your brother! Where might he be?! We are celebrating the miracle of his awakening!"

"Your 'miracle' is still in bed," Ed laughed. "But no worries, he'll be up soon."

The old man scurried back towards the parade. "He'd better! We hope to see both of you in the town square tonight! We must honor Ishvala for answering our prayers, and celebrate young Alphonse's arrival back!"

He turned and looked at Riza, who was taken aback as he shouted, "You too, my child! Join us to honor our creator!"

"We'll be there" Edward exclaimed, and shook his head as he chuckled, watching the old man bounce back into the cluster of his people, still singing and dancing in honor of their god.

Riza replayed the man's words in hir head, completely baffled by his assumption. There was no doubting that sie bore the same eyes as those of Ishval, but that did not mean sie was of their blood…did it?

"Tonight looks like it's going to be one hell of a party," Ed stated, lifting his arms in air and folding them behind his head. "You and the bastard are still going to be around, right?"

"Truthfully," sie began. "I was planning on leaving before the sun completely rose."

Edward's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I see."

His arms fell to his side before turning towards his home, and he added. "Look, I'm not going to tell you what to do or anything, but I think you deserve a night to just relax and enjoy some fun. You should try sticking around for one more night."

"Perhaps," sie responded. "Though, having me stay could be bad."

"How so?" Ed said.

Riza smirked as she adjusted hir quiver. "I could let it slip to your caretaker that you nearly ruined the greenery on the house, while trying to sneak out of Winry's room."

Ed's eyes grew wide, and he gulped nervously before saying. "On second thought, do whatever you want."

Riza grinned under the cover of hir hood. If their love was ill-fated, sie would at least do what many elders had done to hir and Roy: tease relentlessly while they could. At least he'll know sie knew, and that sie kept it secret for as long as sie could, despite hir slight taunting. It was immature, but it was light-hearted fun. Sie needed a little of that before things turned for the worse.

With that, hir and Edward parted ways; him going to the cottage, and hir heading towards town. Something ate at hir about the Ishvalans and their songs, something sie needed to figure out.

:

:

Izumi watched the parade from the front window of the cottage, smiling to herself as the Ishvalans sang their songs of praise. She loved seeing the town care so deeply for others, even if they differed in race, religion, gender, or any other thing. The festival that would be held in town, however, made her rather nervous. She still needed to find out just how deep Edward's relationship with the Winry girl had become; she hoped she would be able to confront him before a huge town celebration.

She watched Edward as he approached the front door, openly it as quietly as possible, and slipping into the front room as though he were trying to sneak in.

"Good morning," she announced, and sipped on her glass of tea while he nearly jumped out of his boots in shock.

"Ah!-uh, Izumi! Good morning!" he rattled off, laughing nervously.

"What are you doing up so early?" she asked him, and it was blatantly obvious how nervous he had become.

"Uh, just…listening to the singing," he started. "Hadn't heard songs like that in a while."

Izumi squinted her eyes at him. He wasn't quite lying, but she could tell he wasn't giving her the entire truth. She sat the glass down on the dining table and walked towards the boy, crossing her arms as they stood toe-to-toe. She was rather shocked to see that they were at eye level; he had grown so much in the years that he'd been gone.

He sucked in his lips as she stared at him, which she recognized immediately as his tell sign. It hadn't changed since he was a little boy.

"What else have you been up to?" she began, but was interrupted by the sound of feet running down steps.

Winry came bounding into the room, practically glowing as she grinned from ear-to-ear. "Did you hear the music in the streets this morning?!"

"I think we _all_ heard it," came Alphonse's voice carried out from within the boys' room, soon followed by his sluggish figure.

"Don't get cranky, Al," Ed laughed. "That singing was for _you._ "

Al yawned as he sat at the table, stretching his arms high above his head as he said, "But why would they do it so early?!"

"Maybe it was meant to be a wake up call to get the celebration started!" Winry piped, taking a seat beside the younger brother. "I'm really excited for it! What are festivals in Dublith like?"

Before Izumi could even try to get another word in, Edward had taken off to the table and began, in great detail, to inform the girl about the many festivals and celebrations the town had from his youth. She nearly snatched the boy up by his damned braid and force him to answer her question fully, but as she watched the three of them at the table, she saw a liveliness in the brothers that she missed so dearly.

She uncrossed her arms and wrapped them around her middle tightly, as she watched Edward and Winry move closer to one another, little by little. This was a bad omen, she just knew it. She felt her insides grow cold as she thought about the awful news she would have to give to the boy eventually, but how in the world was she going to tell him?

The front door of her cottage burst open, revealing the young girl Mei as she came running in, almost jumping out her skin as she squealed towards Alphonse and the others.

"There's going to be a celebration tonight!" she exclaimed. "Oh! It's been so long since the town has celebrated anything!"

Mei quickly took a seat in between Edward and Winry, much to Ed's dismay, and turned perkily towards the latter. "This will be your first festival in Dublith, yes?"

"Um, yeah," Winry laughed, and Mei let out an ear-piercing squeal.

"Ah! You must get ready with me!" she demanded, clapping her hands in excitement. "There aren't many girls our age around here, and it'd be so much fun!"

Winry's smile grew as wide as Mei's, and she nodded her head. "Okay, sound great!"

"AAAH! Let's be off, then!" she shrieked, grabbing Winry's hand before she could protest, and leading her towards the door. "Good-bye, Alphonse! I'll see you in town tonight!"

"Good-bye, Mei!" Alphonse said. "I can't wait to see your dress!"

The girl blushed as she ran out, pulling Winry along with her like a rag doll.

Once the room quieted, Edward let out a snort and leaned back in the seat. "I don't think that bean girl even notice I was here."

"There's not much to notice," Izumi chided, as she walked by. "Alright, I guess now is the best time to start breakfast. Boys, go get started on your chores."

"Chores?!" they said in unison, and she shot a deathly glare. "GOT IT!"

They both scurried out of the house within seconds, and Izumi chuckled proudly. Nice to know she could still scare the little brats senseless.

:

:

Riza stared at the outside of the Ishvalan temple, contemplating whether or not being there was really a smart idea. After everything sie went through in Liore, hir instincts should be screaming at hir to stay as far away from holy places as possible. Yet there sie was, standing only a few feet away from the entrance. Did sie really need to go to this place? What kind of answers was sie expecting to find in this house of worship? What kind of questions did sie even have? This all was beginning to feel so foolish.

"May I help you?"

Riza nearly jumped as an Ishvalan man walked up beside hir. How in the hell was sie letting people sneak up on hir?

Sie turned and look at the man, and realized from his robes that he was one of the temple's monks. "No, sorry. My apologies. I think it was a mistake coming here."

Sie moved to walk away, but the man's voice caused hir to stop once more. "You're of Ishvalan blood, aren't you?"

Riza turned towards him, hir eyes fixated on the ground. "How do you figure?"

The man's face was stern, and his features sharp, but he wore a kind smile as he pointed to his eyes. "I can see the red, even under your cloak."

_Damn it_ , Riza thought, and, with a sigh, removed hir hood and let hir eyes flicker up to the man.

He nodded slowly, taking in her lighter complexion and dark gold hair. "So you are both Ishvalan and Xerxian. From where exactly do you hail?"

Riza remained stoic. "I have no home to hail from. I… I thought I knew my people, my heritage, but now I am unsure."

The monk's lips pursed in thought as he continued to nod his head. "I have to do my daily duties in the temple, would you mind keeping me company?"

"I don't think it'd be wise of me to step in such a holy place," sie stated.

"None are without sin," he responded. "No matter the wrong you've done, Ishvala does not look down on their children with disdain."

Riza turned away from the monk and the temple, shaking hir head fiercely, as though sie were trying to shake out the thoughts from hir mind. "Thank you for your kindness, but I don't think your god could look past the things I've done."

Sie began to walk away before the monk could say another word.

:

:

Winry had to sprint across the town in order to keep her arm in tact with her body. This Mei girl may have been small, but she had a tight grip! She had nearly yanked her wrist clean off several times from twists and turns they took as they dashed towards the small hut she called home on the opposite side of Dublith.

Mei let go of her as they walked through the hut's small door. Winry rubbed her wrist as she watched the girl scurry about the front room, taking in the simple, but lovely features of the home.

"Is it just you here?" Winry asked, and the girl laughed as she shook her head.

"Oh, no! My brother and our guards live here, too!" Mei replied. "They're not usually here, though. The three of them act as a few of the town's protectors, but they'll be taking the night off for the festival!"

"I can't wait to meet them!" Winry said honestly.

Mei chuckled as she pulled out a large trunk into the room. "I'm sure they'll love to meet you, too. Though, I should warn you, my brother may try to betroth you."

Winry's cheeks flushed, causing Mei to only laugh harder. "But don't worry! It'd be a joke more than anything. He's quite in love with his personal guard."

"Oh," Winry sighed, and smiled softly; she'd had enough unwanted proposals for a lifetime, she hoped she wouldn't receive anymore.

With that, Mei opened the trunk and pull out several vibrantly colored gowns, all made of a gorgeous silk. She laid them out onto a clean mat, taking care to make sure none of their edges or sleeves touched the floor. Winry was in awe of the detail embroidered into each gown; how much time did the maker put into them?!

"Now, lets see!" Mei piped, bouncing her index finger off her bottom lip inquisitively. "I think I'm a little partial to the lavender… What about you?"

Winry pulled her eyes from the dress made of pale pink silk and gaped at the girl. "What do you mean?"

"Which one do you like?" Mei giggled.

"Oh," she started, and looked at the dresses again. "Hmm.. I think the deep purple would look best on you."

"Really?" Mei responded, and lifted the garment up to her chest. "You know, I don't think I've worn this one yet!"

"All the more reason to!" Winry replied, and Mei twirled in place with the dress.

"I'm going to wear it!" Mei proclaimed, with a nod of her head. "Thank you, Winry! Now, like I said before, what about you?"

Winry raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I told you, already. The purple one."

Mei laughed loudly and shook her head. "No, silly! Which one do you want to _wear_?"

Her mouth dropped slightly. "W-wear? Mei, I couldn't-"

"Nonsense!" Mei interrupted, waving her hand in the air to dismiss Winry's worry. "I have so many, and most of them are too long for me! Please, I insist!"

"Are you sure?" Winry asked, and Mei nodded fervently. "Okay then, um…"

With sharp eyes, she analyzed each dress as closely as possible, taking in the length and waist line, as well as shoulder span. She didn't think she could fit the dark blue or lavender, so she decided to mark them out. The weather that day was rather hot, and the deep green and tangerine colored dresses both had longer sleeves. She'd died from heat in those!

Mei stepped beside and tilted her head to the side as she stared at the collection as well. "I think the pink one would look incredible on you."

Winry brought her eyes to the first dress she noticed in the collection. "I think that one is my favorite."

"Well then, it's settled!" Mei said with a clap of her hands. "We'll wear the purple and pink!"

Winry laughed openly, and helped place all the other dresses back into the trunk. Placing the two gowns they chose in the center of the mat, Mei pulled Winry to another room and prepped small tubs for a bath. Winry had attempted to protest; the girl had already allowed her to wear a gorgeous dress for the festival, she didn't want to make her do more! However, she insisted that they both enjoy a soothing and beauty amplifying soak, saying they needed to "look and feel their best". After what may have been an hour of going back and forth, Winry stripped down to nothing and climbed into the steaming bath. Mei sprinkled bits of mint leaves and lavender into both of their tubs before stripping down herself and climbing into her own, and both girls sighed happily as they submerged themselves in the hot water, and breathing in the amazing mixture of scents between the flowers and oils.

"This is incredible," Winry said, as she rested her head against the tubs ledge.

"Mhmm," Mei replied. "Thank you for joining me today, Winry."

"Thank _you_ for inviting me," she exclaimed. "I hope I can repay you for all this kindness."

"Please, this is nothing," Mei sighed. "I just wanted to give you thanks for helping wake Alphonse."

Winry smiled at the comment. "You're rather taken by him, aren't you?"

The girl giggled. "What can I say? He's as kind as he is handsome."

Both the girls laughed aloud together, and fell into a comfortable silence. The air in the room tasted floral and sweet, Winry felt like she could drown in the smell. After several minutes of peaceful quiet, Mei shifted in her tub and glanced over at the blonde.

"Hey Winry," she began. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Winry said, eyes closed as she continued to enjoy the warmth of the water.

"How," she began, "how exactly did you heal Alphonse?"

Winry's eyes shot open, and Mei continued. "It's just.. I tried everything I could to help, and none of it worked. If you can't tell me, I understand. I just.. I want to know."

Winry remained quiet, suddenly finding her bath to be less warm and comfortable as it had been previously. Could she trust Mei? Sure, she had shown her great kindness, but did that warrant that much trust in such little time?

_You'll never know if you can trust someone until you take the chance_ , she told herself, and sat up from the tub.

"I can't tell you," she began, "but I can show you."

Mei's eyes grew wide and she nodded her head in response. "I'll grab our robes."

They moved back into the main room of the hut, both girls kneeling beside the mat cloaked in their festival dresses. Winry asked Mei if she could borrow a knife, as it was needed in order to show her secret, and Mei obliged. Breathing heavily, Winry stared down at the weapon in her head, contemplating if showing the girl her power was really a smart idea.

"You don't have to do this," Mei told her. "If you aren't comfortable, we can-"

"No," Winry said. "I want to show you."

Mei quieted after that, allowing her more time to prepare. With a deep breath, Winry closed her eyes and wrapped her hand tightly around the blade, and sliced it across her palm with a one quick swipe. Mei shrieked as she pulled the knife away, revealing a deep cut that covered her hand. Winry winced as the pain struck her, but with another deep breath, she balled her hand into a fist, and a red glow encompassed it. Mei's jaw dropped as Winry opened her hand once more, to reveal that the wound had been completely healed. Her large eyes jetted back and forth between her hand to her face, and she let out a faint squeak.

"How?"

Winry shrugged her shoulders and wrapped her arm together. "I don't know. I've always been able to do it, but I never learned how."

Mei's face was void of all emotion. Her jaw remained slacked as she stared at Winry, and the girl began to feel a panic grow inside her. With a small gasp, Mei closed her mouth and brought her hands to her lips.

"That.." she whispered. "That is… incredible!"

The girl began to bounce up and down in her place, clapping excitedly. "What a gift! Oh, we must try and figure out how you do this, Winry! So long as you're okay with it, of course! But oh! If this talent can be taught, it could stop all disease! Think of how extraordinary that could be!"

"Does this make us friends?" Winry asked, and Mei laughed so hard she snorted.

"Of course it does!" she said, without hesitation.

Winry let Mei's response play over and over in her head as she continued to ramble. This was the first person she had told willingly of her power, and the response wasn't life threatening or sinister. It was positive, and caring, and it made her eyes swell up with joyful tears. She really could trust this girl, she thought, as she wiped away a tear. She really could trust these people.

"Winry, are you okay?" the girl asked, noticing her sniffling.

"I'm fine, Mei," she stated, smiling, despite her tears. "Actually, I'm more than fine. I'm wonderful!"

Winry grinned widely at the girl, and without a thought of hesitation, dove in and wrapped her arms around her. Mei squeaked as they toppled over, but hugged her back just as fiercely. Both girls began to laugh loudly as they sprawled out on the floor, filled with a light-heartedness that one girl had never known, and the other hadn't felt in a very long time.

Friendship truly was a beautiful thing.

:

:

Humans were such foolish creatures. It amazed Envy how easy it was to manipulate them. All they had to do was wear a face, and they could get anything they wanted out of them. Like today, for instance: they snatched a nameless face from the streets of Liore, did away with the body and took their form, and in no time at all, the face's spouse was hanging from their arm and giving them all the information about the strange people in the church that they needed! How stupid! How gullible!

"Where did she say they were heading?" Pride asked them, while they continued to enjoy torturing the face's bride.

"What was that?" Envy asked, grinning sinisterly as the woman's screams filled the air inside of the home she led them to. "I couldn't hear you."

Pride sighed. "The location, Envy."

"Oh, right!" they sniggered, and turned to back to their victim. "Tell me, _dearie_. Where was the group of soldiers heading, again?"

The woman could barely catch her breath as she lied on the dirt floor, sobbing loudly. "Please…stop this.. why are you hurting me?"

Envy rolled their eyes and knelt down beside her. "Tell me, and I promise to let you go."

The woman coughed as she sucked in a breath. "Dublith. I-I think they were going to a place called Dublith."

"And where is Dublith located?" Envy asked, but the woman shook her head.

"I don't know," she began. "Please, please let me go. You promised."

Envy groaned loudly as the woman began to cry louder, and, without even blinking an eye, transfigured their hand to a blade and swiped it across the woman's neck, silencing her permanently.

"Could you try not to make a mess?" Pride droned. "We still need to find out where this 'Dublith' is."

"What for?" Envy groaned, in a bored tone. "By the time we get someone in here, they're going to be dead anyway. Who cares if there's splatter?"

Pride flicked their small wrist lazily. "Have it your way, then."

"Well, I'm off," they said, as they stood, and, as they walked towards the door, emitted bright red sparks throughout their body, and took the form of his latest victim. "I've got to find us directions."

"Don't be gone long," Pride said.

Envy grinned wickedly, the smile distorted the woman's pretty face to something monstrous. "Oh, don't worry. I'll be back in no time."

:

:

:

 

 


End file.
